Yes, the university offers educational outreach for local and national communities to raise awareness about overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices primarily through two key efforts.

1) Penn State administers Pennsylvania’s Sea Grant program which offers educational materials and curriculum, resources and activities for local or national communities to raise awareness about overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices.

Education focus areas include:

  • Coastal and Great Lakes habitats, ecosystems, and the services they provide are protected, enhanced, and/or restored.
  • Land, water, and living resources are managed by applying science, tools, and services to sustain resilient coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems.
  • Natural resources are sustainably managed to support coastal communities and working waterfronts, including commercial, recreational, subsistence fisheries, and aquaculture.

One example is the Great Lakes Literacy education exploration (GLLee) program which provides resources and partners to better equip educators to explore Great Lakes Literacy with youth through place-based education and stewardship opportunities in schools and communities. Topics include Aquatic Invasive Species and Coastal Erosion.

Another example is the Shipboard Science Immersion (SSI) program which promotes Great Lakes science while forging lasting relationships between Great Lakes researchers and educators. The goal of the program is to foster “informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.”

The third and final example is the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) program. It is made up of multiple components that include learning in the classroom and outdoors and are designed to increase environmental literacy by actively engaging students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on experiences to ultimately make sense of the relationships between the natural world and society. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, and more sustainable and equitable communities.

Additionally, the Sea Grant program supports:

  • Commercial and recreational fishers and aquaculturists who are knowledgeable about efficient, sustainable, and responsible tools, techniques, and uses of coastal and freshwater resources.
  • Resource managers and fishing and aquaculture communities access to diverse knowledge and tools to increase their capability to adapt to changing resource management needs, including those driven by climate change.
  • Consumers understanding of the health and sustainability benefits of domestically produced seafood and use that knowledge to inform their seafood purchasing decisions.

2) Penn State Extension provides educational materials, webinars, and workshops for safe and sustainable fishing practices. Topics include pond management, PFAS in surface waters, and investigating stream health.

Learn more about Penn State’s Progress on SDG 14 HERE.