{"id":144,"date":"2021-04-18T22:38:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T05:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/alexanderdungate\/?page_id=144"},"modified":"2021-04-19T14:46:20","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T21:46:20","slug":"final-reflection","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/alexanderdungate\/blog\/final-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"Final Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Final Reflection – Key areas of learning from BIOL 420<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most significant change in my understanding of ocean issues is realizing the full extent to which humanity relies on the ocean. \u00a0In the back of my head I suppose I already knew that society and the ocean were intertwined, but this course gave me new understanding of how deep this reliance runs.<\/p>\n

This course has also changed my definition of conservation.\u00a0 I used to think ocean conservation was just about saving the fish, but I now understand that it is really about saving the fish so we can continue to fish them.\u00a0 To this end, I now understand that humans and society are the central element to ocean issues.\u00a0 Prior to this course I did not fully understand that socioeconomic forces would be the biggest challenge when tackling ocean sustainability issues.\u00a0 All of this sounds obvious now, but I had never sat down to think about it.<\/p>\n

A big part of me wonders: how was I so oblivious? \u00a0My own life is connected to the ocean in so many ways: I eat seafood all the time, I fish a fair bit, I spend tons of time at a family cabin on the water, and I spend hundreds of hours on boats for work and pleasure every year.\u00a0 Despite this, I had never stopped at length to consider the sustainability of the ocean around me.\u00a0 Now when I talk to friends and family, I realize how most of us are far out of touch with marine issues.<\/p>\n

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Figure 1<\/strong>. \u00a0Me fishing spot prawns with my dad. \u00a0I was very happy to hear that BC spot prawns are a well-managed stock.<\/em><\/p>\n

I think part of my oblivion was due to the fact that I am not exposed to people who truly rely on the ocean to sustain themselves.\u00a0 As much as I interact with the water, my subsistence does not rely directly upon the state of fish stocks.\u00a0 In this class, it was incredible to hear about Prof. Vincent\u2019s work in subsistence fishing villages.\u00a0 This expanded my understanding: I realized for a lot of the world, sustainable access to fish is a matter of feeding your family, and occasionally life or death.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Looking back at my portfolio, I realize two things about myself as a critical thinker:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I am fascinated by the driving economic forces behind someone\u2019s motivation.<\/li>\n
  2. I think very empathically, and I often first consider how stakeholders may be feeling.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Throughout my life I have had this burning desire to understand why things happen, and why people think\/act\/feel the way they do.\u00a0 \u00a0Reading through my reflections, I consistently discuss economic and market forces behind the someone\u2019s situation.\u00a0 For example, after meeting Fraser Macdonald, I was fascinated with the financial side of his fishing business, and the idea that fishing licences are speculatively traded between a wealthy few, rather than the fishers themselves.\u00a0 I immediately wanted to know more about the fish licence market more than anything else.<\/p>\n

    My revelation about my active sense of empathy shines through on my Steveston Field Trip Reflection<\/em>, and my Indigenous Issues Reflection<\/em>.\u00a0 In both of these works, I find myself analyzing how each party would have been feeling.\u00a0 For example, I understand (but do not condone) the feeling of animosity the European immigrants had towards Japanese immigrants during WWII, but at the same time I am crushed hearing about the atrocities and racism the Japanese immigrants endured.\u00a0 Similarly, as Megan Bailey walked us through the lobster fishing tensions in Nova Scotia, I find myself first thinking about how each party would be feeling during these altercations. (This is reflected in my Indigenous Issues reflection.)<\/p>\n

    I find it interesting that the two elements I immediately think of are at seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum: how money flows within the industry\/community, and how everyone is feeling.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The two most useful skills this course has given me are:<\/strong> (1) how to problem solve complex global issues and (2) what to consider when starting a new initiative.<\/p>\n

    For (1):<\/p>\n