Studies have shown that pollution, whether from factories or traffic-snarled roads, disproportionately affects communities where economicall...
Monday, February 10, 2020
Using the power of pop to change minds over sea turtle meat consumption
Researchers at the University of Oxford and Programa Tatô have developed a catchy way to reach communities on the island of São Tomé, in West Africa.
Having used consumer research methods to source answers anonymously, they discovered that people have high levels of trust in TV and radio. Using these insights, they persuaded the island's favorite singer, João Seria, to produce an original music video with a song called "Mém di Omali' which means, Mother of the Sea.
Filmed in the idyllic island setting; turquoise waters lapping on the golden beaches where sea turtles come to nest, and sung by João Seria full of joy and sunshine, the song reached out via the island's TV network. The song uses three local languages, as many people do not use the official language of the country (Portuguese) at home.
Lines include: "My people, let the sea turtle live"; "If you see sea turtle meat for sale, don't buy it." Furthermore, researchers effectively took advantage of national laws whereby an original song can be broadcast on TV and radio for free.
Lead researcher, Diogo Veríssimo, said: "We got the idea of doing this song as we were looking for a more positive and captivating way to get our message across to our target audience than the usual repeating of scientific facts about extinction. We used TV and a very famous musician because we knew from the results of our survey that TV had a high level of trust and that social norms played an important role in driving sea turtle meat consumption. So we needed a messenger whose authority was widely accepted by a majority of the population."
The island of São Tomé is the largest island of the archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe and is home to more than 95% of the country's population. It is a known nesting and foraging ground for five species of sea turtles. However, for centuries sea turtles have been exploited for human consumption in São Tomé Island, with both meat and eggs used for commercial and subsistence reasons.
In 2014, the Santomean government criminalized in the archipelago the possession, trade and transportation of sea turtles (dead or alive) and their by‐products. But the island lacked means to enforce the law.
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