Writing Samples

Class Assignment: Mock Policy Memo – Spring 2017

To: António Guterres, UN Secretary General

From: Kylie Gruppo

Date: April 21, 2017

Re: Overfishing

Although fishing, both small and large scale, has been an important industry for centuries, the increase in the last 50 years paired with unsustainable fishing practices are creating the threat of collapse in many fish stocks. If not addressed immediately, overfishing could result in the extinction of critical fish species like tuna, enormous economic despair in areas where fishing is a major part of the economy, and long term food scarcity in states that rely heavily on seafood as parts of their diet.

Causes of this dilemma include open access fisheries, poor fisheries management, subsidies for fleets, and illegal fishing. Mismanagement of fisheries are a worldwide problem, and the World Wildlife Fund website explains, “Current rules and regulations are not strong enough to limit fishing capacity to a sustainable level. This is particularly the case for the high seas, where there are few international fishing regulations, and those that exist are not always implemented or enforced.” Another major problem mentioned, illegal fishing, accounts for an estimated 20% of the world’s catch and as much as 50% in some fisheries, costing $10-23.5 billion annually, (Overfishing). Impacts of overfishing include economic loss for coastal communities, marine life imbalance, and an increase in by-catch, (Overfishing). 

Currently, only 1.6% of the world’s oceans have been declared Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and 90% of existing MPAs are open to fishing, (Overfishing). The WWF eloquently explains the importance of MPAs:

“They protect habitats such as coral reefs from destructive fishing practices. No-take zones allow depleted fish populations to recover and provide refuge for endangered species such as marine turtles. Protected areas allow stressed reefs the ability to recover from climate change impacts, such as bleaching. These benefits translate to improved food security for people who rely on the ocean for their daily sustenance and livelihoods.”

The World Wildlife Fund is a non governmental organization that was created in 1961 and is headquartered in Morges, Switzerland. It was established as an “international fundraising organization to work in collaboration with existing conservation movement on a worldwide scale,” (History). It is governed by a Board of Trustees under an international President, Yolanda Kakabadse. The World Wildlife Fund  is one of the world’s largest conservation organizations, has offices in more than 80 countries worldwide and employs around 6,200 full time staff. It is supported by the donations of over 5 million people. Since its inception, the WWF has invested around $11.5 billion in more than 13,000 projects, (WWF in Brief). The organization works with businesses and industries in addition to a bevy of organizations including the United Nations, USAID, and the World Bank. 

I decided to discuss the World Wildlife Fund because they are a recognizable environmental NGO with the power to influence state and non state actor behavior on environmental issues. Specifically, I chose the WWF because the organization is already involved in responding to the problem of overfishing. The WWF cites itself as trying to:

 “[work] to end overfishing by addressing it at both a local and commercial level. Through collaboration with a variety of partners we strive to transform fisheries so that they are sustainable, have minimal impact on the environment, and can provide food and livelihoods for years to come,” (Overfishing).

For example, the WWF encourages states to reduce and reform fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing because the government funds are used to expand fishing fleets to environmentally unsustainable levels. Additionally, it works to create and expand Marine Protected Areas with the goal of effective management including monitoring the impact of reserves on local communities so that the Marine Protected Areas “benefit both people and nature,” (Overfishing).

The most prominent reasoning the WWF needs to be a central actor in the discussion of the problem of overfishing is their ties to the Marine Stewardship Council. The WWF in association with Unilever, created the Marine Stewardship Council to set environmental standard to identify sustainable fisheries. Over 15,000 seafood products have the MSC label, totaling around $3 billion in annual sales, (Overfishing). Rupert Howes, the organization’s chief executive officer, states: “MSC has a global vision…We want to see the global oceans transformed onto a sustainable basis,” (Zwerdling). MSC influences the international market by encouraging retailers to source from fisheries that are MSC certified in order to preserve both the environment and the fishing industry.

However, the success Marine Stewardship Council and the integrity of the MSC label is questioned by a variety of critics. First, the MSC has often been accused of “greenwashing,” a strategy that convinces consumers they are protecting the planet when they are not, (Zwerdling). The certification process takes years and fisheries must hire one of about a dozen auditing companies who investigate wither the fishery complies with MSC standards, (Zwerdling).

Gerry Leape, an oceans specialist at the Pew Environmental Group, and other critics say the MSC system has been certifying some fisheries even though there is evidence that the target fish are in trouble, among other harmful environmental impacts, (Zwerdling). Additional fisheries, though not proven to be actively harming the environment, have been approved without proper evidence proving otherwise. Another critic, Daniel Pauly, a fisheries professor at the University of British Columbia, took part in early meetings in London that helped create the MSC; currently he has lost faith in the system stating, “The MSC is doing the business of the business community, not the environment,” (Zwerdling).

It is clear one reason the MSC relaxed on standards was to increase revenue. Before 2006, MSC almost went bankrupt because there was low demand for sustainable food, but that year they were able to convince Wal-Mart to comply, encouraging other companies to do the same as to not look less progressive than Wal-Mart, (Zwerdling). That year, the MSC received 75 percent of its funding through foundation grants, and the Walton Family Foundation became its biggest donor, (Zwerdling). Now, licensing fees are more than half of MSC revenue.

My first policy recommendation is for the Marine Stewardship Council to tighten its standards for what qualifies as a sustainable fishery. I believe instead of having third party auditors determine whether fisheries are sustainable. This could be done by requiring a scientific study proving the fishery is not causing harm to ecosystems and biodiversity. If standards are tightened, I believe we will see more substantial environmental change because fisheries will have to work harder to obtain and keep the MSC label. Additionally, when customers purchase food with the MSC label, they will be better contributing to sustaining the environment.

My second policy recommendation involves the upcoming Ocean Conference, June 5-9, 2017, co hosted by Fiji and Sweden. The purpose of the conference is to, “support implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development,” (About). My suggestion is to have the upcoming Ocean Conference result in a treaty similar to Kyoto Protocol, requiring states to pledge to take action to reduce overfishing. This could be done by creating and enforcing laws that combat illegal fishing as well as laws that protect endangered marine life. The Kyoto Protocol proved to be successful in that greenhouse gas emissions were reduced the ozone layer did begin to repair itself. I believe this is an example of how states can work with each other to support their self interest. No one can fish if we deplete the oceans, and coming to a mutually agreed upon solution will help to avoid a tragedy of the commons.

My final policy recommendation is to eliminate government subsidies for fishing completely. A critique of this would be that such an action would create widespread job loss and economic disparity in the fishing industry. However, if drastic actions are not taken, no one in the fishing industry will have a job anyway because overfishing is impacting food chains substantially and leading to an increase endangered species. It is not an overstatement to say we could easily deplete the oceans of frequently consumed fish completely. Fishing businesses need government subsides to obtain more advanced technology to keep up with competitors. By doing so however, this is increasing by-catch through the implementation of larger nets. By eliminating government subsidies, not only would the money not be going to furthering the problem, but it could instead be reallocated to finding a sustainable solution.

Works Cited

“About.” The Ocean Conference, https://oceanconference.un.org Accessed 20 April 2017

“History.” WWF, https://www.worldwildlife.org/about/history Accessed 20 April 2017

“Overfishing.” WWF, https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing Accessed 20 April 2017

“WWF in Brief.” WWF, http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_quick_facts.cfm Accessed 20 April 2017

Zwerdling, Daniel and Margot Williams. “Is Sustainable-Labeled Seafood Really Sustainable?” NPR, 11 February 2013. http://www.npr.org/2013/02/11/171376509/is-sustainable- labeled-seafood-really-sustainable, Accessed 20 April 2017

Professional Responsibility: Draft Questionnaire responses – Summer 2016

1. Stand for Children’s mission is “to ensure that every child, regardless of background, graduates from high school prepared for, and with access to, college or career training.” How does this compare to your philosophy of education and aspirations for all students?

I agree that we need to be doing everything we can to ensure every student is supported by their school. Public schools touch more of our students than any other institution and have the power to change lives. Public education is also one of the best ways to create the opportunity for people to achieve the American dream, reach the middle class, and help grow our economy. In order to create a 21st Century economy that works for everyone, all Colorado students need access to a high-quality public education. Everyone benefits when more people have the tools they need to get good-paying jobs to support themselves and their families.

2. Some groups of students, such as English Language Learners and students who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs, have been consistently underserved in the public school system. What do you think the state should do to improve academic outcomes for these students?

There are so many factors that feed into the opportunity and achievement gap, including socioeconomic status. We need to make sure that all students have the opportunity to succeed, no matter what zip code they come from, and that means increased funding, good teachers and schools, and thoughtful policies that set our students up for success. Healthy and free or reduced cost breakfasts and lunches should be available to all students in need without fear of stigma. Tutoring and extra-curricular activities should be available so all students can have a quality, well rounded education. In an ideal world, all of our schools would partner with local organizations to help students access comprehensive wrap-around services including primary health, mental health, and dental care. 

3. Colorado has adopted several key reforms over the past decade—educator evaluations, reading in the early grades, high standards, and aligned assessments. What do you think of these reforms? How should the state address these reforms in the coming years?

These reforms have improved our education system for teachers and students, but there’s still more that needs to be done. We need to fund our schools adequately, and we can do so by passing the hospital provider fee fix to give us greater budget flexibility in order to give our schools the resources we need. Class sizes need to be smaller, and we need more paraprofessionals in schools so that teachers can spend more time doing what they went into this career to do: teach children. We need to expand efforts to retain, recruit, train, and reward our most effective educators, because teachers are the key to a quality education. We also need to work with teachers to promote testing that doesn’t distract from learning objectives and provides feedback that helps both students and teachers improve.

4. Optional. If there is anything else you would like to note in your candidate questionnaire, please feel free to do so here.

I’m a product of our Colorado public schools, and I’m also surrounded by teachers. My mom was a teacher, and so was my mother-in-law and my grandma. My wife is getting her PhD to become a teacher, and my aunt currently teaches in Cherry Creek Public Schools. Making sure that all of our kids have the opportunity to succeed with a public education that’s one of the best in the nation is a core value I’ll fight for in the State House.