With a BSc in Environment, Economics and Ecology, Sarah has long been fascinated with the challenge of balancing human needs and environmental protection.
Film documentary The End of the Line has won the inaugural PUMA.Creative Impact Award for its ground-breaking exposé on the devastating effects of overfishing on marine biodiversity and livelihoods.
This prestigious award honours the documentary film deemed to have made the most significant impact on the world.
The public interest and impetus created by The End of the Line, led to the creation of two new marine conservation initiatives. The BLUE Marine Foundation (BLUE) is dedicated to creating a global network of marine reserves, and has raised over £6m.
The fish2fork campaign, meanwhile, uses the power of consumer demand to put pressure on restaurants and their chefs to source fish and seafood responsibly and has also raised significant funding for the cause.
Fauna & Flora International is a proud supporter of both BLUE and fish2fork.
“It’s really encouraging to see that this important issue is gaining more recognition in the mainstream media,” said Mark Rose, CEO of Fauna & Flora International and BLUE Trustee. “While some of mankind’s more visible impacts – such as oil spills – have garnered a fair amount of coverage over the years, the destruction beneath the waves has often been under-reported.”
“The End of the Line brings the issue of overfishing firmly into the public eye, and demonstrates the very real benefits that can be gained from engaging the public in what has, until now, been a rather esoteric and political debate,” he added.
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is currently developing a new and exciting programme for marine conservation. Recognising the multitude of threats facing our oceans, we are significantly stepping up our activity on marine issues.
As with all of our projects, FFI is focused on working with partners around the globe to ensure that local communities are actively involved in the conservation of their natural resources.
FFI’s forthcoming Fauna & Flora magazine dives into our troubled oceans, looking at the threats to marine wildlife and ecosystems.
One of the magazine’s contributors is Professor Callum Roberts from the University of York (who also appears in The End of the Line). In his article, Professor Roberts said: “Of all the many ways in which we are changing the sea, humanity’s relentless quest for food and other products remains the greatest threat to wildlife.”
Fauna & Flora International is also supporting the fish2fork restaurant guide, which helps consumers to choose restaurants according to how sustainable their seafood is (not just how it tastes).
The fish2fork website allows users to search by restaurant and location in the UK, USA, France and Spain, highlighting the best and worst in each country with its Blue and Red Skeleton Fish ratings and hard-hitting reviews.
Main photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Puma
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