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Forum addresses human impacts on the seas
 How will global warming affect ocean circulation and sea levels in the centuries to come? Are we destroying the world’s coral reefs? Why are dead zones in the oceans on the rise? Can aquaculture be environmentally sustainable? And how are we all responsible for the collapse of coastal fisheries?
Want to hear some answers from world experts? And discuss with them some of the steps we can all take to reverse the damage?
Then plan to attend a Feb. 21–22 public forum at the University of Victoria on “Are We Killing the World’s Oceans?” Presented by UVic and RSC: The Academies (formerly the Royal Society of Canada), the forum will address issues of critical importance to the future of the Earth’s oceans.
The event is one of a series of RSC–university Forums on Taboo Topics, intended to provide policymakers and the public with an opportunity to critically examine controversial issues and explore policy solutions.
Speakers will include experts from Canada, Chile, Germany, Scotland and the US. Researchers, government decision-makers, environmental and marine organizations and the general public are invited to attend.
The forum kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, with a public lecture by Dr. Daniel Pauly, director of the Fisheries Centre at the University of British Columbia and one of the world’s leading fisheries conservation scientists.
Winner of the 2005 International Cosmos Prize for research excellence and the 2006 Volvo Prize as a pioneer in marine ecosystems research, Pauly is a vocal and influential critic of current fishing practices that deplete the Earth’s fish stocks. Science magazine refers to him as “arguably the world’s most prolific and widely cited living fisheries scientist.”
In his lecture, titled “Are We Past the Point of No Return in Mining Fish From the Sea?” Pauly will describe how something is “terribly amiss” with the way we interact with the oceans, notably through destructive fisheries.
“The oceans are not ‘dying,’” he says, “but many large fish species are becoming scarcer and the ecosystems in which they are embedded are seriously affected.” He’ll evaluate these trends, and highlight some of the private and government initiatives that would help minimize our impact.
The lecture takes place in the University Centre Farquhar Auditorium. Admission is free but tickets are required. Call 721-8480 or visit www.auditorium.uvic.ca.
The forum continues on Thursday, Feb. 22 with a full day of speakers and opportunities for questions and discussion.
Registration per person for the forum is $100, including GST. Tickets for the free public lecture are included in the registration package. Registration is free for the first 50 students to sign up.
For more information or to register for the forum, visit www.uvic.ca/research/oceansforum/ or call 472-4747.
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