A new interactive exhibit opening at the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward
on June 8 will teach the importance of managing fisheries for sustainability.
“The goal of the exhibit is to highlight the importance and the
successes of managing Alaska’s fisheries for sustainability,” said Laurie
Morrow, a spokesperson for the Sealife Center, which is opening the exhibit in
conjunction with a celebration of World Oceans Day.
The sustainable fishing exhibit features a 21-foot long boat set in a
harbor scene. At the front of the boat is an interactive cabin where visitors
can “drive” the boat and listen to radio calls between fishermen. At the back
of the boat, in the hold, is a flat-screen interactive video game called
ecoOcean.
This is a four-player game in which each player controls his or her own
fishing boat and tries to out-fish the competitors. Each player controls how
heavily he or she fishes in a given area, which impacts the rate at which the
fish stock replenishes itself. When the game ends, players will be scored on
the amount of their catch and offered tips for fishing more sustainably in the
next round.
The exhibit was made possible through a partnership of the Sealife
Center with the University of Alaska Anchorage and donations from the Seward
Community Foundation, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and the Rasmuson
Foundation.
Other events are also planned for that day in celebration of World
Oceans Day.
More information on this event and others at the Sealife Center can be
found at www.alaskasealife.org.
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