Octomatt:
No kidding?! I could have sworn she was German or from some other European nation... I should read the bios! :P
Steve:
I know that one grumbler can make a difference, but its true that you will never be able to please everyone. In another post I mentioned the frustration of playing politics with conservation, and I still stand by that. Cephs are not the most well-represented species when looking at oceanic conservation issues. Like sharks, they suffer from bad P.R., and its not going to be easy to shed that image in the eyes of people. Face it; cephs aren't exactly the societal view of "cute".
Before anyone fires off something nasty my way, I want to say that I know this by experience. ANYTHING made to LOOK good is what people want to conserve. Spin is everything in our mass-media society. People for the most part would do little to conserve resources, life forms, etc. if there wasn't something in it for them. Even our interest in cephs here in TONMO is in part due to our aesthetic interest in these creatures. We LIKE them. Those of us who aren't researchers get something out of the deal; a pleasure from dealing with them and people who share in our interest. Not a bad thing at all, but not
entirely altruistic.
Case in point: I hate cockroaches. I think they're vile, horrific vermin whose very existence is engineered to bug ME. I've studied them, and I realize their importance to our ecosystems. One's species does not survive half a billion years without being of SOME importance to the world. However, there is still part of me that wouldn't be too sad to see them wiped out. I realize how wrong it is to think that way, but for some reason I know I can't help it. Fear often clouds judgement.
Think about it like this (average person's POV): "Conservation of dolphins? YES! They smile, they're cute. Conservation of Sharks? MAYBE... Discovery makes a big deal out of "Shark Week", and people are beginning to see that sharks are important, and wonderful in their own way. Conservation of cephs? ... ?" Mysterious and alien, they conjure images of both fear and fascination. I believe that if we can, we need to use spin to bring cephs to the public, and those of us who know a thing or two about conservation and related issues must be prepared to find and use "sheild species" if need be to protect cephs and the ocean itself.
I don't envy you Steve... The battle for conservation is nasty and fraught with political and social pitfalls. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it will be a long, strange trip. I hope to join the fight some day.
Well, that's my
... Peace, Love, and Ceph Conservation
Sushi and Sake (but hold the Tako-Yaki)
John