Photo courtesy of Rhea Moss-Christian
Rhea Moss-Christian, from the Marshall Islands, is Executive Director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. In a GEF Voices interview, she shared life lessons from her work supporting sustainable fisheries, with a particular focus on tuna harvesting practices.
How did you get into this line of work?
My career path really started in my final year of university in 1995 with an internship at the Marshall Islands Mission to the United Nations where I was introduced to the family of Pacific Island countries. Following that internship, I reached out to a professor with experience working in Nauru and asked him to oversee my thesis on climate change. But the professor wanted to see something on fisheries, since the UN Fish Stocks Agreement had just been adopted. I agreed and wrote a thesis on the UN agreement and its implications on the Marshall Islands. Through this, I became fascinated with international relations and its application to natural resources management, especially with regard to tuna that is so global and an important source of revenue for so many Pacific Island countries. My first job out of university was with the Office of the President in the Marshall Islands and I gave my thesis to the President’s Chief of Staff, who after reading it, decided to send me to a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee. This was in November 1996 and I have been working in the fisheries sector ever since.
Is there a GEF-funded project or program that is close to your heart?
I was closely involved with the GEF-funded Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries Management Project, which is in its fourth phase and managed by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. I was a regional consultant for several phases of the project, and supported the development of national “status and needs” reports outlining each country’s efforts and current investments related to sustainable fisheries management. It was a gratifying experience for me to be able to contribute to something so significant in terms of the outcomes that the project support would achieve.
I also must mention the FAO-led Common Oceans program which works with 25 organizations including us, regional fisheries management organizations, international organizations, governments, and civil society around the goal of harvesting tuna more sustainably. This initiative does invaluable work on reducing bycatch of non-target species and anticipating the effects of climate change on tuna stocks. It really shows how we are stronger and more effective together.
Has anyone you have met through your work made a lasting impact on you?
So many people have made an impact on me at different points in my career. I have benefited from a core group of mentors and supporters. No one gets far by going alone and that has certainly been true for me, as well. One of the factors I credit for my success is having a community of mentors who provide honest feedback and advice.
What life lessons has working on environmental issues taught you?
That it’s almost never about the natural resource itself, in this case tuna. There are always wider issues at play, whether it be security (economic or otherwise), power, or cultural importance. Tuna is a resource that represents different things to different players and it’s the multifaceted nature of managing this resource that has kept me fascinated with this work since I started a career in fisheries nearly 30 years ago. Of course, in the end, those varying interests need to come together enough to ensure that the resource can be sustained into the future. It’s always give-and-take and in so many directions.
The state of the global environment can be concerning. What gives you hope?
The younger generations are so much more informed about the state of the world. With social media and the internet, in general, information is so much more accessible and there are more ways to reach a variety of audiences. This can also be a bad thing as we’ve seen instances of widespread disinformation through many digital sources. But just the availability of this medium for communication is important to acknowledge and then find ways to use it for good, to share facts, and build understanding and awareness. Where it is based on facts and accurate data and information, there is potential for greater advocacy and innovation targeted at protection and sustainable use of ocean and marine resources.
At a minimum, we can’t accept defeat no matter how bad the state of the environment feels. Everything we do to challenge and slow exploitation is going to be worth it.
What message do you have for today’s political leaders, about the ocean?
The ocean is a lifeline for everyone. Whether for trade and shipping or food and minerals, everyone is connected in some way to a healthy ocean. Use the opportunities when you have them, especially as political leaders, to advance key messages about the importance of treating the ocean and all it provides with care.
What advice would you give a young person today who is interested in a career related to the environment?
Pursue it! The world needs as many people as possible to focus on its long-term inhabitability. That sounds so dramatic but with the rapid warming of the Earth’s atmosphere and the impacts that will be felt globally, we all need to be putting our energy into protecting and preserving our environment for ourselves and our future generations.
In my case, I grew up with an appreciation of nature and pursued a career in politics and international relations. This led me to a role that centers around managing a natural resource that is so important to so many people. It is an incredible opportunity and gift for me to make even a small impact through my work. It’s the combined and incremental impacts of everyone that will matter most in the end.
