Conversation with Catalina Lopez - Director of Aquatic Animal Alliance
On 20th April 2021, I met with Catalina Lopez, a Mexico City based project manager, ex-veterinary surgeon, and animal rights activist; who is currently in the role of Director of Aquatic Animal Alliance, a charity based in New York.
Cata is a pragmatic, hard-working and passionate environmentalist and animal welfare expert. She has dedicated her career and life for the better treatment of animals worldwide - previous roles including Director of Corporate Engagement for Mercy for Animals. She is a strong woman, holding intelligent and well-informed views on ecological issues, animal injustices and global climate change atrocities - but she does not preach or scream about her insights. Instead, she puts her efforts into working hard everyday, to the practical engagement of others through policy making and diplomatic results, slow-change and creating what she describes as 'allies', to the cause of improving animal living conditions and environments.
We spoke for over an hour about vegetarianism, the moments she realised she wanted to commit her life to ecological and animal rights, as well as the power of not shouting and screaming a message. I wanted to specifically ask her about communication, narrative, and engagement - as these are her specialisms. I found the conversation enlightening, hopeful and especially key to the development of the 'In the Larval Stage' project.
Encounters. Do we have to encounter another being, live with an animal, or visit a creature in the wild to understand a shift of empathy to the value and understanding of the animal's experience? We discussed a friend who recently began scuba-diving and wants to now cut fish out of her diet, as well as me knowing a pet Axolotl for 6 years allowing me to understand the species better. We talked about people owning dogs or cats, or even house plants, to create an emotional bond with something more-than-human. We talked about being in nature as a way to connect and step outside the ever artificial world of the human, and how zoos, aquariums and parks allow a moment for this connection. It is undeniable that a meeting can create a shift. BUT - is this necessary all of the time? And does this happen all of the time? How do we create the bridge between human and more-than-human, when meat is packaged in plastic and we spend more time indoors? Cata considers the use of narrative, and visual imagery key to this bridge. She describes watching the Okja - a Korean animation about a genetically-modified 'super-pig', which is one of the reasons she committed to vegetarianism. I concurred, the reason and moment I decided not to eat meat was a very graphic film about the welfare of chickens in a Canadian battery farm, and their horrific abuse by the workers. Can we create campaigns and portals of information to create change? The answer is yes. But maybe this requires more than one channel of information, combined with personal experience. Change doesn't happen overnight. Many socio-economic factors are intertwined with eating meat specifically, but also cultural practices in the pet trade and treatment of nature. We have to foster relations and provide awareness. It doesn't necessarily meaning everyone has to protest in the streets, but these people who do are also vital to the multi-faceted measure of public awareness and momentum into creating a change.
Protest. Who is our audience? Aggressive protest and extreme views will often put people off who have culturally embedded practices, in the 'middle-ground' or aren't as connected to nature as others. Therefore it is necessary to find your audience. Cata described the concept of 'allie-ship'. This means that within your campaign you need to target a specific group of people, who have the capacity to influence, or incite their own social change. Moreover, these people have to be 'on the fence', or have a prerequisite to the more empathetic view on animal welfare. This idea reminded me of the UNAM scientists creating links with influential and prominent members of the Chinampero community. By convincing the key people in the community to provide space and shelter for the Axolotls as a way of increasing the quality of their produce and therefore profits, the scientists hope this will become more desirable and a trend. It is really an 'influencer' concept. Within this project, my target would be the people of the community now living in districts such as Roma, Condesa (etc.), who have the earning capacity to buy organic produce and support the Chinampero and UNAM scientists, and therefore Axolotls. I would also be targeting the ethical tourists, who need to be aware of the sensitivity of the environment at Xochimilco. As an outsider to the community - I feel it is not my place to intervene in Xochimilco itself - I am raising awareness to the Axolotls, UNAM scientists and Chinampero's work. I am an information sharer, a journalistic voice to spread the word, but not elicit structural change to a community I am not part of.
Narrative. Therefore, how do we create information to produce a feeling of empathy. We discussed David Attenborough's Planet Earth - and his ongoing efforts to shine a light onto the animal and plant kingdoms as way to open our human eyes to their plight. By story-telling, we are able to see into the world of the more-than-human. If no information is shared, we do not know what is happening or even how to act. Offering solutions is also important within this communication. Without a solution, the campaign is ungrounded. We need to know how we can help if we want to. A functional action we can commit to, or intend to commit to. Saying 'Save the Planet!' will not help in practical terms. By bringing this information into the conversation - slow-change or seeds of change can be implemented. People do not transform overnight - it is a process of self-discovery and undoing learnt values. Cata discussed the '3 pillars of change' - people, governments, companies. Only by addressing all 3 can there be effective positive developments. And companies and often governments, will not commit or collaborate with the 'extreme'.
Overall, my conversation with Cata was a wake-up call for me: to the way a shift in ecological mindset and policy can happen. Slowly. XR and others, extreme veganism for example, can only do so much to elicit change. But structural transition needs to offer solutions or alternative options for a long term shift. The public and consumers can be made to feel bad and guilty about consumer choices - but where does ecological anxiety get us? Pragmatism, collaboration, awareness raising and opportunities for long-term commitment allows change to happen, even if it is 'poco a poco'.
Aquatic Life Institute - https://ali.fish/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aquaticlifeinstitute/
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