One fish, two fish: why counting ocean wildlife matters

Governments know how many taxpayers there are but can’t say the same about the number of fish in their waters. Hear how this lack of information is troubling given the important role fish play in ocean health, our blue economy and food security. Significant declines in ocean wildlife are also of concern as these losses undermine ocean resilience. This talk will share insights from video-based methods for documenting the status of open-ocean fish — tuna, sharks and marlin — and discuss the fundamental need to meet Australia’s commitment to protecting at least 30 per cent of our ocean territory by 2030.

Bio

Professor Jessica Meeuwig was born on the Canadian prairies — far from the ocean. She grew up in Saudi Arabia and got her scuba diving ticket at 15 years of age. Professor Meeuwig settled in Australia in 2001 and her research in marine conservation has allowed her to work in places as far flung as Finland and Vietnam. She pioneered the use of video camera systems to count open ocean fish species, such as tuna and billfish, as a basis for documenting the status of our oceans and improving its management. She leads the Marine Futures Lab at The University of Western Australia — a team of approximately 20 researchers — and is the inaugural Wen Family Chair in Conservation.

Event

Tuesday 28 October, 7:00 pm @Market Grounds, 10 Telethon Ave, Perth WA 6000

Also speaking at this location at 5:30 pm is Professor Zachary Aman