The oceans serve as the foundation for all life on the planet. They provide the air we breathe, the food many of us eat, and livelihoods and enjoyment for millions and millions of people. And yet, their sheer vastness, once seen as inexhaustible, makes them difficult to sustainably and equitably manage. Even worse, they are prone to illegal fishing, forced labor, and even modern slavery. Seafood, the world’s most traded commodity, is both the problem and the solution. In this seminar, we will explore the roots of these challenges, innovative partnerships and solutions that hold great promise, and ways in which the achievement of SDG 14 Life Under Water might just hold the key to progress on all of the SDGs. The seminar will be led by FishWise CEO and Mount Madonna School alum Tobias Aguirre (’94) and will showcase how a local nonprofit can have global impact.
Tobias Aguirre, CEO at FishWise, sets the conservation vision and organizational strategy for this nonprofit sustainable seafood consultancy based in Santa Cruz, CA. FishWise takes a holistic approach to sustainability and aims to transform how the global seafood industry does business in order to protect ocean health and workers’ rights. Tobias works with seafood industry executives, foundations, governments, and NGO leaders, to build a collaborative approach to conservation that results in effective business and improved social and environmental performance. To that end, Tobias serves on a number of advisory bodies and committees and is a Board member of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, a global collective impact initiative designed to achieve several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Drawing from diverse multi-stakeholder efforts, Tobias oversees cutting-edge programs for FishWise business partners, while forging new ground in the complex world of seafood sustainability. He is a frequent speaker at leading international conferences and contributor to strategies that seek to improve the seafood industry at large, such as the Roadmap for Improving Seafood Ethics. Tobias holds degrees from Stanford University and UCSD’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, where he specialized in nonprofit management and business strategy. His awards include the UCSD GPS 2018 Outstanding Alumnus award and the Conservation Alliance Spirit award, and was named a Seafood Watch Hero by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
All of the events in the series will be offered via Zoom. Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $20, and can be ordered via the speaker series website, sdgspeakerseries.org.
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