Campus, News

Seems fishy…

As the world changes, California State University, Long Beach too must adapt.

In honor of Sustainability Month, CSULB is hosting a series of panels and events, including Thursday’s Sustainable Aquaculture Panel at 5 p.m. in the Beach Auditorium of the University Student Union.

The panel will feature experts in fisheries conservation and policy, aquaculture practices and sustainable seafood markets.

On its new sustainability website, CSULB announced that it is committed to “promoting sustainability through … campus operations, academic programs and engagement efforts.”

The website states that sustainability is made up of three elements: the natural world and resources; the community and social structures; and economic systems. Practical sustainable solutions need to be incorporated into all three parts to be successful, the website stated.

Since 2011, CSULB has been apart of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, a university-based network designed to address global climate issues. In part of this, the campus conducts bi-annual greenhouse gas emission inventories. By drastically reducing emissions, the university aims to achieve “climate neutrality” by 2030, the website stated.

In response to the state’s drought emergency, the university also aims to reduce water consumption 20 percent by 2020, said Paul Wingco, the energy and sustainability manager of Facilities Management.

The Daily 49er spoke with panel coordinator Wade Martin, an environmental science & policy professor at CSULB, to discuss the upcoming panel’s importance and impact on sustainability.

What does this panel cover?

It covers sustainability month here at CSULB. We received a grant to receive a sustainable learning community. It is part of the grant that this learning community is putting together and is hoping to become even more institutionalized so that we could have events that will focus on sustainability and combine with our faculty research the programs and classes. We are also working with community partners as well.

Why are we having this panel now?

We started with sustainable aquaculture because there has been some proposals to develop projects between San Pedro Ports and Catalina Islands. There are different projects going on there, but we are focusing on global relevance with the climate changes.

Fish are being overfished and more people are consuming fish. Fish have less of a carbon footprint than animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs and etc.

What can students who attend this panel get out of it?

Students should be able to get a better understanding of what is sustainable with farm fish versus wild fish. They should also know of some of the practices when they go to a restaurant and order a fish that they know, or whether a fish is being caught in a sustainable fashion versus one that is depleting the fisheries. Also, find out whether bad practices are being used and to have a better understanding of where your food is coming from.

This event will share different perspectives from businesses to biology conservation perspectives, so you will get the whole spectrum of opinions and facts.

The event is free to everyone, no RSVPs necessary. Contact [email protected] for more information.

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