The Sustainability of Seafood Farms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sustainability of Seafood Farms - Essay Example Sustainability pertains to the â€Å"long-term viability of a community, set of social institutions, or societal practice† (Meadowcroft, 2012, p.944). It aims to align the needs and concerns of present and future generations. Sustainability is a framework that asks companies to consider a triple bottom line when planning and executing business strategies and plans. A triple bottom line integrates the effects of business on profits, people, and planet. The concept of sustainability influenced the triple bottom line of seafood farming by compelling the state, people, and firms to safeguard the ocean from unsustainable aquaculture practices that pollute oceans and negatively affect its biodiversity, as well as harm the livelihoods of small fishermen (Weeks, 2007). This essay first discusses the processes of production, distribution, and consumption in fish farms. Production refers to the â€Å"growing† of seafood for mass consumption. It consists of using ocean pens or net s to culture seafood at faster rates than when these sea creatures are in the wild. In the early 1950s, fish farms produced less than 1 million tons of seas foods every year; in 2004, they are raising 60 million tons of finfish, shell fish, and aquatic plants (Weeks, 2007, p.627). Distribution pertains to the movement of seafood goods among producers, sellers, and consumers. At present, the U.S. cannot meet its seafood demand, so it imports seafood from China, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines (Weeks, 2007, p.628). This means that seafood production generally comes from developing countries and distributed for consumption to developed countries. It also supplements its seafood demand through aquaculture, although its output is not enough for American seafood consumers. Consumption is the using up of seafood resources. Because of increasing health concerns, more and more Americans consume fish. From 1998 to 2005, American per capital consumption of fish increased by 30% (Weeks, 2007, p.628). This essay will now explore the advantages and disadvantages seafood farms. The environmental impact of global fish farming on the world’s oceans and aquatic life are largely destructive. Protecting the Oceans is a video that shows widespread abuse of the oceans by jam-packing fishes and other sea creatures into limited fish farm areas. Weeks (2007) described the process of eutrophication in seafood farms. Wastes from seafood farms are discharged to the nearby environment. Algae and plankton feed on these wastes and since wastes are plenty, they exponentially multiply. High populations of algae and plankton dissolve oxygen from water, making it less capable of supporting life (Weeks, 2007, p.631). Eutrophication also damages coral reefs and sea grass beds and diminishes biodiversity (Weeks, 2007, p.631). In addition, even at a local scale, fish farms significantly pollute the waters: â€Å"An average-size salmon farm with 200,000 fish produces as much fecal mat ter as 65,000 people† (Weeks, 2007, p.631). The 2007 report of the Woods Hole Marine Aquaculture Task Force stressed that fish farms produced lesser pollution than other sources, but they could not determine if the ocean can easily absorb its wastes (Weeks, 2007, p.631). The U.S. also lacks guidelines for monitoring and measuring ocean water quality, so it is hard to monitor aquaculture pollution (Weeks, 2007, p.632). In addition, aquaculture can also produce

Strategic Plan For Your Organization Statistics Project

Strategic Plan For Your Organization - Statistics Project Example This paper will explore the strategic plan for GetWell, a pharmaceutical company that sells prescription medicine (Cravens & Piercy, 2008). GetWell possesses sufficient information about the target market. The demand for pharmaceutical products is high and keeps increasing every day (Callahan, 2006). The firm will use this information to serve consumers better. The customer base includes medical doctors, trainers, physical therapists and chiropractors. Most customers buy the medications for pain management and relief. The medical industry is under pressure to reduce costs for medical purchases. Insurance companies are exerting pressure on various medical institutions to buy low-priced but quality medicine. The number of people with drug plans is high especially for elderly people who have no medical coverage. The market for prescription medicine is expected to grow by 6% annually. Many pharmacies sell prescription drugs in cities that GetWell operates in but few offer low prices like GetWell. Competitors rarely advertise in print or digital media. The increase in the number of athletes and sports trainers ordering pain management medicine is encouraging (Brukner & Khan, 2008). GetWell aims at increasing its market share by targeting new customers and becoming the market leader for pharmaceutical sales in the region. The firm plans to reduce the market share of competitors by taking most of their walk-in customers and making more deliveries. GetWell plans to achieve financial growth of 15% for every year. GetWell is aiming at providing customers with the best medicine at discounted prices. GetWell aims at increasing the number of repeat customers by 9% in each quarter. The firm aims at increasing customer awareness about the various stores in the two states. GetWell plans to reduce client acquisition costs by 10% every year. Another objective is taking a majority share in supply of medicine to