It’s a wrap! Local filmmaker and photographer Chewy Lin and his team recently finished filming a FISH4ACP film in collaboration with students from Life Skills Academy in Majuro.
“We are so proud of our Life Skills Academy students who graduated from our media training with Chewy Lin and Wilmer Joel,” said Samantha Kies-Ryan, a member of the film team.
“The students learnt interviewing skills and collaborated on our short film for the Food and Agriculture Organization educating Marshallese about jobs and opportunities available in the local fishing industry.”
The film project was part of the communications campaign of the FISH4ACP project in the Marshall Islands that aims to tackle some of the underlying challenges in the tuna industry. These include the improvement of economic performance, social and environmental sustainability in its value chain. The film is part of a bigger communications campaign that will involve posters, flyers, social media, a Careers-in-Fisheries event that will be held for students and an industry dialogue later in the year.
The LSA students who graduated from the media training program are Juliam Abija, Veronica Jelkan, Rina Joab, Cathlynn Tawe, Brenda Bolear and Madeline Eknilang. They “all did a tremendous job,” said Kies-Ryan.
Students from LSA interviewed Eugene Muller, general manager of Pacific Island Tuna Provisions, and MIMRA Oceanic Chief Fisheries Officer Beau Bigler on their work in fisheries. They also took a tour of Marshall Islands Fishing Ventures (MIFV) to see the tuna processing industry firsthand. This changed the ideas that many of the students had about the fishing industry at the beginning.
“When I was in MIFV I saw women working there,” Madeline said. “I realized that both men and women are capable of working in this industry.”
Reflecting back on the experience Juliam Abija said, “After the field trip, it sparks my desire to work in the fishing industry. Now I can explore new things and make money at the same time.”