Dogs have masters; cats have slaves. I’m a slave.

My cats know that I work at WWF-Canada, on conservation science, business partnership and sustainability standards.  Much of that bores them.  But I reminded them that the health of oceans is at stake worldwide, as well as off Canada’s three coastlines.  We (humans, that is) have polluted them, overfished them and degraded their seafloors.

That’s the bad news.  The good news is that there is such resilience in nature, most of the species and marine ecosystems could recover, if we gave them half a chance.
But many of us living in urban areas, I told the cats, one now purring, the rest sleeping, feel we have no connection to oceans and to marine conservation.  Maybe the federal government has some role?  But what can each of us do?
The truth is, we all have a direct connection to the sea.  Most of us eat seafood, whether fish or shellfish, whether wild caught or farmed.  At the mere mention of fish, the feline sleepers woke up.
Plainly put, it’s our consumption, mostly by people but also by, um, cats that undermines our own future well-being, as well as that of our children.
It doesn’t have to be this way.  Now, as fish consumers we have a choice.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGlUXmI0QY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
 
Over 75 seafood products, for sale at stores across Canada, are now certified to the high environmental standards of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).  The enormous increase in the last few years is a credit to the sustainable seafood policy commitment made by Loblaw, Canada’s largest grocer, who markets under various banners in different provinces.
In 2008, with support from WWF, Loblaw announced the most ambitious sustainable seafood policy we know of worldwide – by the end of 2013, all seafood in their stores across Canada would be on the track to sustainability.  This campaign, called Oceans for Tomorrow, includes fresh, frozen, canned and smoked; wild and farmed; fish and shellfish; freshwater and marine.  And not only seafood, but products containing fish ingredients, found in nearly every aisle of the supermarket.  And eventually, that means pet food, too.
Simultaneously, all cat ears perked up.
The blue MSC logo marks packages with more sustainable fish caught from wild sources.  Watch for a dramatic increase in the number of MSC products on the shelf, now that High Liner has met MSC standards with its seafood supply.
Soon the green ASC logo – the new Aquaculture Stewardship Council – will mark seafood raised from more sustainable fish farms.  Watch for ASC tilapia, a popular farmed fish, which will be the first ASC seafood to arrive on supermarket shelves.  More species are expected over the next two years.
We are not disconnected from the oceans – our choice every shopping day is a vote for change.
Most of the cats had left for the couch or litter box, but one, Norman, prepared his own video summary of the meeting.  I couldn’t have said it better.