Passionfish Contact: Patti Parisi, MEDIA ADVISORY: ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENT COMING SEPTEMBER 25 Oakland, CA - July 14, 2003 Passionfish will convene a spirited and evocative forum on the contentious issues of marine fisheries and seafood sustainability on September 25, 2003. The moderated panel discussion is part of the Oceans 2003 Marine Technology and Ocean Conference in San Diego. The five-day conference is being billed as the largest "Oceans" conference ever. The Passionfish forum will engage various experts from seafood and restaurant businesses, science, conservation, philanthropy, media, government, and academia. These diverse stakeholders share the one goal of fisheries sustainability although their views often diverge on the means of achieving it. The urgency of multiple sectors working cooperatively cannot be understated. All agree that a crisis exists in our ocean and that action must be taken now. How to act and who should act, however, depends on whom you ask. The worldwide debate is contentious and sometimes ugly. Passionfish gets various experts talking to one another in a search for common ground and collaborative solutions. The forum is co-sponsored by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and coincides with its Centennial. "We're honored to celebrate with Scripps as they toast their first hundred years and look ahead to their second century of scientific and technological achievements," says Carl Rebstock, Passionfish Executive Director. "We share their vision of achieving ocean sustainability through education and inspiration. Celebrating the ocean's bounty in 2103 will be possible by first learning to open our ears and minds to what various stakeholders have to say today about strategies for saving fish." The Passionfish forum will be held Thursday, September 25, 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. in the Terrace Pavilion at the Town and Country Resort Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, in Mission Valley. Admission is free and open to the public. More details on the forum will be coming in August. Passionfish is for people passionate about the ocean, fishing, and seafood! We are a nonprofit public education project actively promoting sustainable wild fisheries and aquaculture. Founded in 2000, Passionfish has developed an innovative approach for addressing seafood and fisheries sustainability: forums that reveal common ground amid contention, celebrations of seafood, broadcasts that build awareness, and a unique book series aimed at inspiring adults and children about ocean and seafood sustainability. Match your passion with cash -- please support Passionfish. Visit us at http://www.passionfish.org/ |