Dr. Brett Favaro is not only a researcher at the Marine Institute at Memorial University, but he was the co-chair of the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC 2016) in St. John's, Newfoundland this past August. If you haven't figured it out yet, the IMCC 2016 was a bit life changing for me.  Brett was kind enough to take time off his busy schedule at the IMCC to chat with me about the purpose of the conference as well as his research. Planning and overseeing a conference as big as IMCC is not easy. Not.One.Bit! It's busy and chaotic at the slowest time. Brett and his team did a great job in planning the entire conference as well as the Oceans Online afterward. It was great to chat with him about the conference at how it met its purpose. The research led by Brett on researching various ways to create sustainable fishing gear is quite interesting as well. He talks about Cod Pod nets that he is currently field testing for efficiency and safety with local fishing communities. Fisher people are often found to be the villains in the story due to over fishing; however, many fishing communities are very concerned about the environment and they have witnessed the changes the Oceans have undergone over the past decades. Collaborations are important when trying to find sustainable fishing solutions and that is what Brett and his team are doing. Brett talks about how he builds relationships with the fishing community by sharing a meal and chatting to them about everyday life. It builds respect, trust and friendship, which makes working together much easier. The community is involved in many steps of the process of the research that will help them catch more cod while avoiding bycatch. We often dismiss the work conducted by the fishing community because of their bad reputation, but the fact is, they are trying to protect the Ocean so they can live off of it and enjoy life like every body else.   Do you want to talk about how you can pursue a career in Marine Conservation? Send me an email and let's chat. andrew@speakupforblue.com Because I want to talk to you! Join the Arbonne Blue Team http://www.speakupforblue.com/teamblue Instagram: @speakupforblue Snapchat: @speakupforblue SUFB Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast SUFB Website: http://www.speakupforblue.com 10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf