| The Habitattitude campaign messages are appearing in pet stores on fish bags and aquariums, and ads are being run in related hobby and trade magazines. |
Water gardeners and those who keep aquariums and backyard ponds may not realize that their pastime has the potential to harm the environment if an unwanted fish or aquatic plant is released. A new national public awareness campaign is working to instill a conservation mentality in those who are faced with disposal issues.
The trademarked Habitattitude campaign features a "don't release" message and promotes simple actions for people to take when faced with an unwanted plant or fish. It features a logo and slogan, public service advertisements, and promotional materials, which are available for use by coastal resource managers and others who sign up to become campaign partners.
"It is a proactive solution aimed at raising awareness, engaging people, and promoting behavior change," says Doug Jensen, aquatic invasive species program coordinator for the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program. The campaign's "simple and consistent environmental messages can be promoted locally to address a global issue."
Jensen adds, "It provides credibility and accountability to all of our outreach efforts when we are communicating the same message."
That message centers on the campaign logo of a blue and green fish in a bowl. Jensen says the fish in the bowl represents the element of containment and protecting the environment. The fact that Habitattitude is difficult to pronounce gives it an "element of memorability."
The campaign slogan— "Protect Our Environment. Do Not Release Fish and Aquatic Plants"—provides "clarity and instruction," Jensen says.
The creation of the campaign was a collaborative effort of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By joining forces, Jensen says, they were able to "avoid duplication of effort and leverage resources, funding, and experience."
He notes that the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, which represents over 70 percent of the U.S. pet industry, has committed more than $1.1 million to the campaign. The contribution helped garner $100,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Service and a $300,000 grant from the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program.
The campaign was launched in September 2004 at SuperZoo, one of the largest pet industry trade shows in the U.S. The Habitattitude campaign messages are appearing in pet stores on fish bags and aquariums, and ads are being run in related hobby and trade magazines.
"The Habitattitude campaign really serves as a model partnership," Jensen says.
He adds, "I think whether we admit it or not, there is a strong environmental conservation ethic in everyone, and tapping into that ethic is one of the keys to natural resource protection and conservation."
To become a Habitattitude campaign partner, point your browser to www.habitattitude.net. For more information, contact Doug Jensen at (218) 726-8712, or djensen1@umn.edu.
