And chances are…you won’t like it
William Shatner is kind of a big deal.
So it was quite a win for a Canadian nonprofit when they got the 93-year-old to star in their ad about salmon farming. It’s been getting a lot of traction – people sharing and amplifying the message.
But is that the whole story? Is it the right story? Is it backed by science and reliable sources you can trust? Hard to tell, but if Captain Kirk says it’s so, then…who are we to argue?
But wait, what does the aquaculture industry say?
We asked a friend and assistant professor of aquaculture, who said the Shatner ad misrepresents the situation. “It’s another example of rich white people telling farmers to F*** off.”
British Columbia First Nations, whose territorial waters host many open-net salmon farms and who pride themselves on their environmental stewardship practices, agree and have publicly demanded an apology for misrepresenting the industry and oversimplifying the story.
They point out that…
- The ad downplays the efforts by First Nations, salmon farming companies, government and scientists, to ensure that salmon farming is being done responsibly
- There is a plan in place to transition away from open-net salmon farms, but they need time to realistically and responsibly achieve it
When it comes to aquaculture, we’ll let the experts hash it out.
The truth is, the vast majority of the time, there isn’t one right answer to any topic. There are two, three or ten sides to every story. And wouldn’t it be unfortunate for the world only to hear one? And worse yet, not yours?
If you’ve got your head down doing good work in your industry and there are other people out there telling your story for you, it may be time to tell your story yourself.
That…or you can wait for someone to ask Harrison Ford to weigh in and wait for it to go viral. I mean…I’d believe what Indiana Jones has to say, wouldn’t you?
