Rauch Foundation
In 2023, New York-based non-profit, the Rauch Foundation briefed us to develop communications to educate the public about industrial fish farming’s perils. Fish farming is a key part of aquaculture, which is, in turn the world's fastest growing area of food production. Whilst it is billed as 'a green solution' to feed protein to our growing population, its true impact is only just starting to be widely appreciated.
Substantial research and preparation was conducted with our Brussels-based policy partner, Conscience Consulting. Initially, this led to a campaign to prevent mass expansion of fish farms on idyllic Poros island, situated in Greece’s Bay Of Athens. (These infographics, designed by our team, illustrate the many threats at play.) This was to be the Foundation's first move beyond the USA, led by its passionate, new president, Eva Douzinas.
Our initial goal was to persuade Greece’s central government not to push ‘go’ on a plan to expand by 28 times a small fish farm on Poros -a plan that would devastate the island's environment AND tourism-reliant economy. Fish farms generate dead zones due to the concentrated nitrogen compounds from waste feed and faeces, which starve marine life of oxygen. This includes death of Posidonia sea grass, "the lungs of the Mediterranean", which fix carbon 35% more efficiently than tropical rainforest. (Read more impacts here.)
We created press assets to launch our campaign to #SavePoros on World Oceans Day 2023, communicating the science, social and economic issues to audiences around the globe. Assets included a 30 minute film, Saving Poros, by award-winning investigative journalist, Francesco deAugustinis. Our team designed infographics for distributing to the press and for social media use.
The results? Fay Orfanidou, Executive Director of a Poros-based non-profit, Katheti, was interviewed on BBC World News' World Business Report, which airs at breakfast time in Europe, and has a weekly, global audience of over 100m. We also liaised to secure an in-depth article in Euronews featuring a special edit of Francesco's documentary, detailing the many threats to Poros. Other platforms which covered the story include Le Monde, France24 and Arab News en Français.
Top tier Global + European broadcast news coverage for #SavePoros
However, Poros and other regions in the EU are far from alone in their plight. In February 2024, the Financial Times published 'The Hidden Cost of your Supermarket Salmon' which detailed widespread social and environmental impacts of fish farming, including the illogical and unfair removal of millions of tonnes of perfectly edible small fish from West African communities that are food-insecure. These pelagic fish are made into fishmeal and fish oil to grow salmon, sea bass and sea bream for consumers in Europe and The Global North. Yet those communities rely on such small fish for nutrition, let alone their artisanal fishing livelihoods.
The Power of Film to Change Hearts and Minds
So, in 2024 a plan was formulated which took us beyond Greece. At Curious PR, we know first-hand about the power of film to change hearts and minds, given its highly nuanced messaging qualities. Firstly, we promoted 2 documentaries about fish farming’s issues. ‘Until the End of The World’ (also by deAugustinis) filmed communities facing the same plight in 3 continents over 3 years - as reported in Italy's Corriere della Serra. It continues winning awards, including Environment Award for the 21st International Ocean Film Festival.
The second film, ‘The Sanctury of Poseidon’, by Tasmiania-based Mike Sampey exposes Poros community’s fears around the planned fish farm expansion. We organised the UK premières of both, including Q&As with deAugustinis in Rome and Orfanidou in Poros. Interestingly, Tasmania experiences almost identical "imperialist" behaviour by the aquaculture industry, and similar ecological impacts from the unwanted fish farms. Importantly, both films were screened at Our Ocean 2024, where decision makers in aquaculture gather each year. Helpfully, in 2024, it took place in Athens, just two hours from Poros.
Seas of Change Summit: 80 Global Experts Unite on Action
Our film promotion work was followed by helping to organise and publicise the first Seas of Change Summit hosted by Rauch Foundation, Katheti, and Argentina’s GSFR - Global Salmon Farming Resistance. The summit saw 80 leaders from over 50 organisations, 14 countries and 4 continents share data and gain insights about the growing environmental, economic and social losses caused by industrial fish farming around the world.
Such was the strength of feeling at the Summit that 3 mayors and government ministerial staff attended, which resulted in Greek TV news crews arriving to report on the situation. Importantly, on day 3, delegates agreed to come together around a shared action for World Ocean Day 2024….
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After further collaborative strategising, the chosen campaign was #FishFarmsOut. This involved writing a fully evidenced letter to the head of United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) asking it to ‘Stop classifying industrial fish farming as 'sustainable.' Our creative team worked with other Rauch partners to produce wide-ranging assets for the campaign: web copy for www.FishFarmsOut.org infographics, social media assets and a campaign video with a very clear call-to-action.
#FishFarmsOut: An Award Nominated PR Campaign
Our efforts alongside those of highly experienced Joanna Sullivan of Conscience Consulting helped gain the signatures of no fewer than 175 global organisations and experts across 6 continents on the letter to the UNFAO.
The result? A detailed letter of reply, indicating a willingness to engage on this complex, multi-stakeholder issue. In addition, we secured more top tier media coverage around World Ocean Day - breaking our internal record for audience reach. Highlights include an interview with Eva Douzinas, Rauch's president on BBC World News 'flagship' World Business Report, a page 6 article in the print issue of the Financial Times and online (which together reach a global audience of 34,200,000 a month) an article in Mail Online featuring heartfelt interviews with residents of Poros, plus, articles in The South China Morning Post and Corriere della Serra.
Our original brief had been to highlight one island’s issues, yet our ambition, expertise, network and creativity helped give Rauch Foundation the confidence to collaborate globally, for global impact. We continue helping build its network and its reputation as a globally-facing non-profit with impact whilst putting industrial fish farming issues on the GLOBAL map. Indeed, we are extremely proud that this work led to an award nomination. Curious PR is one of a handful of agencies chosen to be finalists for ‘Best Not-for-Profit Campaign’ by the UK Agency Awards 2024.
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Of longer-term significance is the fact the UNFAO responded, and Eva Douzinas met its head in Rome at July's 36th meeting of the FAO Committee on Fisheries - COFI36 - as well as representatives from communities most affected by this 'blue rush'.
Our passionate team hopes to continue helping move this critical issue higher on the agenda as an issue that must be tackled urgently. As reported by The Economist and others, pressure on our oceans - a public commons - will only become greater as seas become warmer and fish stocks more depleted. Yet, we are optimistic that greater understanding by all stakeholders, plus, proper, enforced regulations, means better outcomes CAN be won. For now, please learn more about how your fish reached your plate at www.FishFarmsOut.org - some facts are below.
