Should You Go to the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada?

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Some of my fondest memories from elementary school consist of my experiences from school field trips. To this day, my visit to the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada is a core memory. With its interactive activities, various exhibitions, and educative displays, many leave Ripley’s Aquarium with a newfound appreciation for the ocean and marine life. As a nine-year-old, the opportunity to physically touch a stingray at one of the exhibitions played a pivotal role in fostering my interest in ocean conservation initiatives. By providing the means to create personal connections with marine life through the experiences offered by Ripley’s Aquarium, many people can find a reason to take the initiative to be informed about issues relating to the ocean. 

Ripley’s Stingray Experience 

Although my experiences at Ripley’s Aquarium were positive, reflection has allowed me to acknowledge that many aspects of the aquarium raise ethical concerns. For example, while physical touch with marine creatures through the use of touch tanks may result in humans leaving with a newfound appreciation for the ocean, animals being subjected to physical touch from humans can induce stress responses. In conjunction with the manmade nature of aquariums, exposure to constant touch increases the amount of pathogens and foreign bacteria in the environment–potentially resulting in sickness for various marine species.

A second ethical implication resulting from the nature of aquariums relates to wildlife trafficking. Wildlife trafficking involves the transport of non-domesticated plants and animals from their natural habitats to environments that are controlled by humans. Oftentimes the phrase wildlife trafficking calls up images of animal poaching and the elephant ivory trade, however, it is a practice that is utilized by aquariums by Ripley’s. Aquariums are unable to breed the species of fish that they often showcase, thereby relying on the animals to be captured in the wild and kept in captivity. Throughout this process which involves the capture and transportation of the marine species, a large number of species of saltwater fish simply die as the biological and social requirements for them to thrive cannot be met once they have been placed in captivity. 

Seaspiracy 

Is Ecotourism Inherently Bad?

Tourists diving with whale sharks in Oslob, Philippines

Map of Marine Protected Areas

Ecotourism, the act of environmentally responsible travel and visitation to different areas of nature has long been criticized for being counterintuitive due to its nature of being environmentally insensitive as a result of international tourism. Oftentimes, ecotourism is conducted in natural areas such as nature reserves, parks, wilderness areas, and marine protected areas. Recent studies evaluating the effects of ecotourism in Marine Protected Areas suggest that ecotourism has a positive effect on marine governance in addition to improving local attitudes to marine conservation. Ultimately, this begs the question of whether or not the benefits of ecotourism can outweigh its negative consequences attributed to travel. 

A study conducted by the University of Victoria in Canada evaluated three locations in the Philippines (Oslob, Donsol, and Pintuyan) offering tourists the opportunity to swim with sharks. Interviews with locals revealed that inappropriate behaviours in the form of violence against the whale sharks were considered the norm within the area. However, after having the opportunity to interact with the sharks in a hands-on tourist experience, the same locals reported they felt more inclined to protect the sharks, citing that incidences of hitting the sharks with stones, paddles, and dynamites had decreased. Additionally, locals expressed a stronger sense of community with the marine life overall as they were able to foster emotional connections with the whale sharks. From a government perspective, the topic of ecotourism becomes highly relevant when the significance of tourism is analysed in smaller island states as tourism plays a large role in determining economic growth, employment, and social development. Given the importance of tourism in the social and government infrastructures in countries that rely on tourism–and ecotourism as a result, government bodies are more inclined to take environmental precautions as a large fraction of the travel and tourism industry is driven by nature tourism. In the EU Blue Economy Report published in 2021, coastal tourism alone was the biggest sector in terms of both gross profit and employment. 

Although there is the belief that ecotourism is synonymous with environmentally conscious and ethical tourism, this is only true when it is conducted based on research and incorporates insight from local communities. This indicates that without the necessary precautions, the positive intent behind ecotourism can be overtaken by the desire for profit. For example, travel companies may utilize marketing schemes that advertise environmentally conscious practices in an attempt to appeal to tourists. Alternatively, a protected area can potentially increase in popularity as a result of ecotourism activities, thereby having irreversible impacts on wildlife. An example of this can be observed when whale watching becomes more prioritized as a tourism activity rather than an opportunity for locals to learn more about the mammals. Disruptive behaviours such as loud noises can potentially cause distress to whales as they are sensitive to loud noises. 

Despite ecotourism having the potential to foster a closer relationship with marine life and nature in addition to forcing government systems to prioritize nature and marine life conservation, it appears as though the prospect of ecotourism can be easily shifted into a marketing ploy at the expense of Marine Protected Areas. Conversely, if ecotourism placed a stronger emphasis on local travel, followed ethical regulations, and maintained facilities that actively minimized carbon emissions, while promoting genuine connections between people and nature, it may be a useful tool as we collectively work towards being more conscious of our actions on the earth.

Minimizing the Impacts of Holiday Shopping on Our Oceans

Last week, Black Friday marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Following Black Friday, many online retailers present consumers with sales that only snowball into the winter holidays. Holiday shopping leverages the concept of scarcity to foster a sense of urgency–compelling consumers to shop without being environmentally conscious. A study conducted by the University of Leeds found that up to 80% of Black Friday purchases end up in landfills, indicating that many purchases made during the holiday season are of low importance. With the gradual shift towards digitalization across various shopping platforms, the culture of online shopping has become widely accepted due to convenience–but this is not without implications for our environment and oceans.

A MIT study revealed that traditional shopping methods had two times the carbon footprint relative to online shopping as one vehicle delivering a large quantity of products is less environmentally-taxing than a large number of individuals driving to a store. Despite the MIT study suggesting that online shopping has fewer environmental consequences when taking rushed orders into consideration, the negatives of online shopping ultimately outweigh the positives. This is because companies must send out trucks at half-capacity to fulfill orders placed within a one or two-day window. In conjunction with the clothing industry which relies heavily on poor-quality materials such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon, the use of these synthetic materials increases the quantity of non-biodegradable waste that ends up in landfills in addition to being a large contributor to plastic pollution in oceans. When clothing garments made of synthetic materials are washed, small fibres–microplastics–are released, travelling through various bodies of water until they infiltrate our oceans. It’s been estimated that over 75% of ocean creatures have ingested microplastics, potentially acting as carriers of environmental toxins that can end up in our food in addition to affecting marine life.

Although the future revolving around reversing the damage we have inflicted upon the environment seems bleak, there are many small precautions that can be taken to minimize our carbon footprint and better protect the earth’s oceans! Here are some small steps and things to consider the next time you shop online as recommended by David Suzuki:

1. Prioritize replacing over supplementing - online shopping can be used to replace shopping in person; this allows for vehicle trips to be saved, thereby minimizing carbon footprint.

2. Plan out your shopping in advance - Companies like Amazon and Walmart that provide the option for instant delivery do not have the luxury of allocating one vehicle to fulfill multiple orders. Consequently, a higher environmental price is associated with rushed orders as ensuring fast deliveries may involve the use of airplanes, which can increase carbon emissions. Prioritizing local businesses and products in addition to making multiple purchases at once allows for fewer emissions.

3. Minimize packaging - Packaging acts as a large source of single-use plastic as it often ends up in landfills once it has served its purpose. Selecting the option for your purchases to be packaged in a single box or opting for recyclable packaging is a simple solution to this issue.

4. Reduce returns and exchanges where possible - Online shopping corresponds to an increase in returns and exchanges of products. An increase in unnecessary product returns and exchanges requires companies to re-ship the products to the original distribution centre or store, therefore generating more carbon emissions and packaging. A solution to this issue is reading product descriptions and reviews thoroughly, as this allows you to gain a greater understanding of whether or not the product is right for you.

5. Reduce overconsumption - The convenience associated with online shopping is perhaps the greatest contributor to overconsumption. Following social media trends in addition to the anticipation of a package delivery can result in individuals making online purchases merely for the sake of instant gratification. Thinking more critically before you make a purchase and organizing your shopping into lists are great ways to ensure you’re only buying what you need.

6. Consider the disposability of products - Online shopping perpetuates a cycle of buying, replacing, and waste. Dismantling the normality of single-use products and the casual disposal of products can play a role in reducing the depletion of resources. Simply purchasing products with the longevity of the product in mind or finding alternatives to single-use products (floss, face masks, plastic straws, etc.) can help decrease waste overall.

With the prevalence of online shopping in today’s society, there are many small changes that we can make to decrease our impact on the environment this holiday season. By making small changes to our online shopping habits, we can minimize the many negative consequences associated with online shopping habits this holiday season and do our part in protecting our oceans!