by Thomas Appleby, Associate Professor in Property Law
Academics have an extraordinary role to play in society. In normal employment, workers are too busy doing the job to gain objectivity. But teaching and research, particularly on practical disciplines, require reflection upon how and why things are done the way they are. Occasionally, we get the chance to take those reflections and influence the world around us. Sir David Attenborough is one of the most trusted voices alive today. So imagine what it feels like for us academics when UWE Bristol research and projects UWE Bristol has supported make the centrepiece of his latest film, Ocean. Despite all the harm to the natural world Sir David has witnessed over his long life, he has highlighted overfishing and its consequent damage to the marine environment as the single most important activity we need to resolve.
The film is a beautifully told story of damage and hope for restoration. It includes local voices from Scotland, Liberia and Hawaii. The Scottish narrator, Don MacNeish, helped create the first no-take zone in Scotland and large marine protected area around the island of Arran, Don co-founded the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST).
UWE Bristol supported COAST from the outset providing impact funding and legal guidance as to how to make a marine protected areas by law (an unusual take on real estate management). The COAST project formed part of our impact case studies.
In the film itself, Sir David reflects that coastal states own the fishing rights in their adjacent waters, they therefore belong to the public, it is up to us how they are managed. Law is not normally part of nature documentaries but UWE Bristol’s research treating oceans as public property also made it into the film and even influenced the decision to have the film commissioned.
From an academic perspective, particularly an academic working in the College of Arts, Technology and Environment (CATE) at UWE Bristol, the film raises (at least) three big questions.
Firstly, how should we be assessing and distributing fishing rights to commercial users? (A real estate management, environmental management and social geography question).
Secondly, the film shows some shocking footage of the damage caused by some commercial fishing methods. At what point does the act of fishing become on act of vandalism because of the widespread collateral harm? (A real estate management and an environmental management question).
Thirdly, filming of the activity (by artists and conservationists) drew attention to obvious consequences of bottom-trawling, why is video evidence so rarely used to monitor fishing? (An environmental management, environmental scientist and art question).
So go and see the film: it is sad and beautiful and hopeful.
But also, when you are researching, teaching or studying, if you have ideas that the world is not the place it should, share those ideas with all and sundry. And serendipity may well take you and your research places you never expected.