Most enterprises are driven by consumer need; in media, new publications are created to address the needs of specific audience groups.
Publications compete for our attention, not based upon how important their subject matter is in objective terms, but on what their audience finds important or compelling in their lives on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis – a subtle but important difference.
It’s important because what we find fascinating or compelling may not be what we need to know, for the good of the planet, our species, or ourselves.
All of Us
A great many of us find the ocean, its people, places and underwater inhabitants fascinating, compelling, and many other things besides, but when we’re talking issues as important as the health of the ocean–71% of planet Earth– “a great many of us” is not nearly enough.
Its an unfortunate reality that the passion and insights of those that are engaged with the ocean on a daily basis all too often get lost in the noise of a thousand other messages competing for our attention every day, fail to get translated in positive action by the rest of us, and do not achieve the prominence they deserve when our political leaders are deciding on what agenda items to prioritize.
The world’s oceans are an essential life-supporting resource. They supply 50% of the oxygen in our atmosphere, their immense ecosystems are home to at least 230,000 known species and an estimated 1.6 million more yet to be classified. Over 90 million tons of fish are hauled out of the wild ocean every year (plus over 40 million tons produced by fish farms,) providing 17% of the animal protein in our diets and livelihoods to an estimated 500 million people.
We need the ocean. And by “we” I mean all of us. We need it as a healthy functioning ecosystem. But for much of human history, we have treated the ocean with a mixture of fear and contempt. Awed into submission by its immensity one minute and abusing it to destruction the next, believing that we could never have a lasting impact on its health or abundance no matter how we behaved.
The truth is far more frightening. Our actions so far had a hugely detrimental impact, and while it does have great power over us. Damage that has remained unseen in the depths is now being revealed, and the power of wind and waves will be as nothing compared to the disaster that will befall humanity if the ocean ceases to function as a life-sustaining environment.
Our futures are bound to the ocean whether we like it or not, but there is good news.
All over the world people are taking action and lessons are being learned with the aim of safeguarding the future. So we have made it our mission to find those people and talk with them, as well as those who are having an impact simply via their daily interaction with the sea out of personal choice or economic necessity, with the aim of gathering their insights and communicate them to a wider audience. To become the journal of record for ideas on effective ocean conservation.
Making The Connection
The Sealives Initiative’s mission is to bring a journalistic approach to telling those stories, and the stories of those who may have opposing views so that we may learn from their lives and insights with the goal of creating clarity on solutions – solutions that actually work because they take all of the factors, all of the first-hand experiences of those who live with the sea, into account.
For eco-crusaders we are a fanzine – highlighting the work of unsung heroes making a difference around the world, for those who work at sea we are the voice of realism – people’s livelihoods are stake after all. For citizens and consumers who live lives disconnected from the ocean we are their connection to the lives and insights of those who live with it every day, and a provider of methods by which they can make a difference where before they have felt powerless.
To industry and policymakers we are an objective voice and a source of solutions when considering how positive progress regarding the ocean environment can be made.
We have some guiding principles. The validity and primacy of science is not up for debate at Sealives. Science for us is a guiding light. We will always seek the best data possible and question any data that we find, but won’t waste your time with any argument claiming that science itself should be set aside.
Also, while we are ready to be appalled by the destructive things people sometimes do, and ready to report objectively when we witness or otherwise uncover destructive acts, our default position is that no rational human wants to see the world burn.
The reason for this approach is simple – in denies cynicism – and getting past cynicism does something very important – it puts us all in the business of looking for positive ways forward. It puts us all in the solutions business, and ultimately, doing that for a global audience, some of whom may not yet even understand how important the oceans are to them, is the reason why Sealives exists.
Our Why
Why do we focus on the oceans? Because they are a vast, indispensable yet surprisingly fragile part of what makes our world habitable for all the species that live on it, including us. And we focus on telling the stories of the people who interact with the ocean because we do have an impact, and every idea, every lesson learned that helps to make that impact less negative is important to our fight for survival.
Jason Murphy
Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico
November 6th, 2018