By Adam Konder
The culture of Japan is deeply connected to fishing. One of the key barriers for creating a global sustainable fishing policy will be convincing the people of cultures that are so deeply connected to fishing to alter their way of thinking. According to Howard Gardner’s book, Changing Minds, “while it may be easy and natural to change one’s mind during the first years of life, it becomes difficult to alter ones’ mind as the years pass” (17). I would venture to say that this concept of increasing resistance due to age can be applied to the age of other cultures, which may have solidified their views over hundreds of years. It will be challenging to overcome this resistance.
One way to overcome resistance is to present a sustainable alterative that may be able to satisfy cultural ideals. According to an article written by Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post, there have been efforts made to replace the Bluefin Tuna with what has been called the Kindai Bluefin. These fish are produced from “hatched eggs instead of captured juveniles” and according to the article, “Many environmentalists have encouraged the efforts, saying they may represent the best chance of staving off the tuna’s extinction.” The article does, however, point out potential flaws of this new farming method, claiming that the farming of Kindai fish may still cause harm, not only to efforts made by environmentalists to reduce consumption of the Bluefin tuna, but to the populations of feeder fish needed to produce the Kindai (although the amount needed is about 50% less than traditional farming methods). Presenting this alternative, although imperfect, may be a strong step towards protecting the Bluefin Tuna.
One way to overcome resistance is to present a sustainable alterative that may be able to satisfy cultural ideals. According to an article written by Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post, there have been efforts made to replace the Bluefin Tuna with what has been called the Kindai Bluefin. These fish are produced from “hatched eggs instead of captured juveniles” and according to the article, “Many environmentalists have encouraged the efforts, saying they may represent the best chance of staving off the tuna’s extinction.” The article does, however, point out potential flaws of this new farming method, claiming that the farming of Kindai fish may still cause harm, not only to efforts made by environmentalists to reduce consumption of the Bluefin tuna, but to the populations of feeder fish needed to produce the Kindai (although the amount needed is about 50% less than traditional farming methods). Presenting this alternative, although imperfect, may be a strong step towards protecting the Bluefin Tuna.
Eilperin, Juliet. "A More Sustainable Tuna?" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR2009031000677.html
Gardner, Howard. Changing Minds The Art And Science of Changing Our Own And Other People's Minds (Leadership for the Common Good). New York: Harvard Business School, 2006. Print.
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