A Conversation with Ted Danson - Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement %

Exploring the Contributions of Daniel Pauly and Rashid Sumaila to Ocean Conservation: A Conversation with Ted Danson

The Tyler Prize team were thrilled to sit down for a heart-to-heart conversation with the passionate ocean activist and renowned actor, Ted Danson

Ted took us on a journey into the inspiring work of our 2023 Tyler Prize Laureates – marine biologist Daniel Pauly, and marine economist, Rashid Sumaila. The three all sit on the Board of Directors for the ocean charity, Oceana.

Ted offered his insights into how Daniel & Rashid’s exceptional research is sparking a global conversation on the precarious state of our precious oceans. Their work is generating big waves (pardon the pun) in the ocean conservation world, shaping international policy and reminding us of the critical importance of safeguarding our blue planet.

(Photo Credit: Oceana)

Ted, you’ve said previously that Daniel Pauly is something of a hero of yours. What makes Daniel Pauly a hero in your eyes?

Daniel is like a rockstar. I find him funny, amusing, brilliant, bright, easy to be around. As an actor and advocate, I want to use my celebrity as a mouthpiece for supporting the environment. When Daniel Pauly, one of the world’s most renowned fisheries experts, has something to say, you know it’s right and you know that the science has been done impeccably. It means that you know that the information you share with the public is backed by rigorous scientific investigation.

If you’re trying to make changes in the world, but you don’t have the science right, you could be making things worse!

Also, Daniel’s studies in the mid eighties where he proved scientifically that the world’s oceans were being fished out formed the basis of Oceana’s work in marine conservation. My work with Oceana has been the part of my life which has brought me the most joy, so – thank you Daniel.

How would you describe the state of our oceans before industrial fishing took hold?

Before industrial fishing, there was an abundance of fish in our oceans. When I was born in 1947, there were still so many big fish like sharks, king mackerel, and tuna, out in the ocean. Now we only have 10% of the big fish we had then. That’s because of industrial fishing and overfishing.

Small countries and fishing communities once had the ability to take their artisanal boats out and catch what they needed to live on. Now with industrial fishing, countries with powerful fishing fleets are scraping the bottom of the ocean floor and taking out such a huge amount of fish that artisanal fishermen and fishing communities, especially those in poorer countries, don’t have enough fish just to survive. Plus, it is estimated that one third of the world’s catch is thrown overboard as bycatch – isn’t that terrible?

You may live in the Northern hemisphere and go, what’s the big deal? I can get a nice piece of salmon around the corner. What are you talking about? But the truth is, our fish and the world’s fisheries are in danger of being overfished. If you manage the world’s fisheries correctly, you could provide a billion fish meals a day – forever – at a time when food security is a huge, huge issue.

What specific contributions have Daniel Pauly and Rashid Sumaila made to the fight to protect our oceans?

In the mid-1980s, Daniel was able to prove that we were overfishing the world’s oceans and treating the ocean as a bottomless pit of fish. Because of Daniel and his team’s work, we started letting science lead the way and determine quotas for how much fish you could take out of a fishery and still have it be sustainable. This goes hand in hand with protecting ocean habitats and preventing destructive practices like bottom trawling and dragging, which turn coral reefs into gravel.

Rashid Sumaila has done a lot of work in this area, proving that it costs a lot more to fish if you do it in an unsustainable way. Together, their work has helped shape policies, raise awareness, and promote responsible fishing practices.

How are Daniel Pauly and Rashid Sumaila perceived by the ocean conservation community?

The fact that they’re being honored by the Tyler Prize, which is like the Nobel Prize for Environmental Science, that says it all – they’re held in great esteem. Daniel is the most cited marine biologist in the world, and Rashid is the most cited fisheries economist in the world.

What is your view on the forthcoming ban on fishing on the high seas?

A ban on fishing on the high seas is a great idea. How practical it is at this moment, I’m not sure – but that doesn’t mean that scientists and academics shouldn’t be pushing for it. Oceana focuses on working country by country because if you’re able to bring about change in twenty or so of the top fishing nations, all of a sudden you are working with 70 or 80% of the world’s fisheries and making them sustainable. It’s very hard to get international bodies to succeed in coming up with regulations that have teeth.

What do you think are the root causes of the pressures that are being put on our planet?

Human nature – we’re full of greed. We want more, more, more. We also don’t think about the planet as a whole, we just think about our own little corner and what we want. We do need to protect nature. If we fail at this, then all the other causes that we’ve endeavored to work on won’t matter because the planet will be gone.

A big thank you to Ted Danson for taking the time to share his views with The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and for his work to direct public attention to the state of our planet.