Coastal communities in developing nations have led way on new media
Dear MEAM:
This is to acknowledge the important contribution of MEAM in directing our community to the potential for new media tools in EBM ("New Media and EBM: Using Twitter, YouTube, and Other Tools to Engage the 'Crowd' and Improve Management", MEAM 5:4). This is a commendable effort. As you may be aware, several coastal communities in developing countries – the south Indian State of Kerala being an outstanding example, where fishermen have been using technologies like mobile phones and community radio long before their comrades in the North – have been exploiting the power of new media for quite some time.
KG Kumar
Editor, SAMUDRA Report, International Collective in Support of Fishworkers. E-mail: kgkumar@gmail.com
Facebook holds value for the oceans
Dear MEAM:
I strongly agree with the positive comments in MEAM on the value of social media for the oceans. Despite my age, I am a member of Facebook and find that it aids communication at all levels of expertise – not only to adolescents. I suspect that those "experts" who reject such value may suffer from a form of intellectual elitism.
Graeme Kelleher AO
Former chairman, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Canberra, Australia. E-mail: graempa@home.netspeed.com.au