You know the old cliche: New Year, New Me!
Each January is so full of promise, but sadly, the stats don’t stack up in your favour. One in four people bail after just one week, and two thirds relent by the end of January. In fact, only 9% of people actually see their resolution the whole way through. Why? Behavioural psychologists offer a few explanations:
- The goals are poorly defined - e.g. Get healthier
- The goals aren’t particularly enjoyable
- There is a lack of planning for how you will execute the vision
Here at OneFishTwoFish, we are actually great fans of the New Year’s Resolution, fraught though it may be. That is why we have a few suggestions for resolutions to do with the ocean in 2023. They are specific, straightforward, and - best of all - enjoyable!
1. Participate in a beach clean-up
We can’t stress enough just how vital these events are. Each individual piece of rubbish removed from the coastline is one piece of rubbish that can’t kill a marine animal. Think about that every time you pick up a discarded can or piece of fishing wire. Your work matters.
This can be an organised event (the likes of Clean Up Australia Day or a local event hosted by Sea Shepherd) or just a personal choice every time you visit the beach. A helpful mantra is that you should Take 3 For the Sea, three pieces of rubbish off the beach every time you go.
2. Learn to scuba dive
This skill is a bit like knowing how to fly a plane. You just never know when it will come in handy! On a more serious note, scuba diving is the best way to immerse yourself in the marine ecology of your coastline. You will be dropped into a new world where you can see schools of fish drifting listlessly in the shallows, and stingrays gliding elegantly off the rock shelf. On the other hand, scuba diving is a great way to challenge yourself, and show that you are capable of the exciting, the heart racing. You’ll learn new things about yourself, and see things you’ve never seen before. A quick google search will find the nearest and best options nearby.
3. Learn to ride one of the many board options on the water
There is something primal about moving in tandem with the ocean. Whether that be surfing, or the more leisurely stand up paddleboarding, there really is a choice to suit your comfort level. However, we want to introduce you to a more left field option: the wing foil. Imagine wind surfing with a giant inflatable kite on a foil - a board which uses a long carbon fibre fin to raise you above the surface of the ocean. You are ostensibly flying! A few lessons here and there, and who knows? You may have found your niche!
4. Try an unusual fish
Curiously, most of the fish we consume regularly are all predatory: Tuna, Salmon, Barramundi. But this is not the full picture. Many of the fish lower in the food chain offer exciting new tastes and textures, which most people will never know. Your local seafood market will have an ample supply of sardines, tilapia, whitebait, or leatherjacket. If you are a seafood lover, you shouldn’t be content with only consuming a portion of what the ocean has to offer. A true connoisseur will have a wide palate, and - in our experience - there is usually a dark horse favourite lurking in these less common fish.
5. Become Seafood Positive
This is the most noble of all the resolutions listed here. In purchasing fish from restaurants and shops that are Seafood Positive, you can rest easy knowing that your consumption of seafood has actually replenished the oceans and waterways around Australia. Knowing this makes it taste just that little bit better. Check out our list of partnering outlets to find out more.
May you find something of interest somewhere in here. And may you be in the 9% who see it through to fruition.
Happy 2023!