Red herring laboratories : using visual communication to communicate the environmental issue of global overfishing

Abstract

This project is about the environmental issue of global overfishing, which is an issue

that receives little attention in first-world countries like Singapore due to how far displaced

we are from our food sources. If left unsolved, it will have profound and lasting effects on the

human race. At the rate that humans are catching fish from the oceans, the world could be

seeing the collapse of all world fisheries around 2048. In Singapore, where seafood, and by

extension, eating is part of our culture, this could have serious repercussions. The country

could lose an essential source of protein and nutrients, and lose famous local dishes such as

Chili Crab or Curry Fish Head, which would impact its tourism industry.

In recent years, visual communication has often been the medium of choice when it

comes to spreading the word on environmental issues. Lester Brown, an American

environmental analyst and founder of the Worldwatch Institute, has declared that “the

communications industry is the only agency possessing the capacity to convey the knowledge

necessary for sustainable development to the required extent and in the timeframe we have at

our disposal.” Hence, visual communicators are well placed to assist in solving environmental

problems.

The aim of this project is to conceptualize and produce a campaign to inform and to

promote awareness about overfishing to Singaporeans. Although many campaigns about

overfishing have already been carried out, many people in Singapore are still unaware about

the severity of this issue. This project seeks to build on and improve what has been already

been done by using visual communication to create a campaign that engages emotionally with

its audience. The deliverables for this project will include packaging, motion graphics and a

website, effective mediums for a 21st-century audience.

Keywords: Sustainability, Marine, Fish, Seafood, Singapore