Elle Wibisono is a one-of-a-kind Indonesian fisheries scientist. With a doctorate in sustainable fisheries from the University of Rhode Island, she not only professionally advocates for a scientific approach when creating public fishery policy but also uses her expertise to educate young children about fish. She does this by drawing her own illustrated guides and fish comics on an Instagram account called Fishtory.co.
On the account, she periodically updates fun fish facts she has illustrated herself, which include series such as So You Want to Work In Marine Conservation and ABC of Fisheries. She has also self-published a children’s book titled A Snapper Tale, which combines real facts about one of Asia’s widest-consumed fish with the heartwarming story of Ellie, the fish who navigates ocean waters to find her family. By creating her online comics and children’s book, Wibisono hopes to raise children’s awareness of marine conservation, especially when it comes to fish species that are widely consumed. This is why her work is relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life Below Water.
Wibisono named her platform Fishtory by playfully combining the words “fish” and “story” to immediately grab children’s attention. One of the first Fishtory series she published was the ABC of Fisheries where she introduced the field of fisheries by going through key A to Z words in the disciple. Each comic is around four panels long and uses simple words and brightly coloured illustrations to engage children. As an example, Wibisono did A for Abundance, where in just four panels, she intelligibly explained the fisheries concept of abundance.
“Abundance = How Many Fish,” she writes in one of the panels, quickly explaining the concept to readers of all ages. She then concludes the comic by stating that knowing fish abundance is key to ensuring people are fishing sustainably without harming the fish population. Here, without doubt, her quick-to-digest Fishtories are helping young kids (and adults alike) understand the basics of the field, a move that will engage them further with their career and with marine conservation down the line.
Released in 2023, Wibisono’s A Snapper Tale tells the story of young Ellie, a crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus) who got separated from her family. On her journey to find them, she encounters other snappers from different species, such as Fiona the flame snapper (Etelis coruscans) and Roby the ruby snapper (Etelis sp.). Wibisino outlines factual information in each encounter to explain the difference between each snapper species. The project was inspired by her dissertation on Indonesian deep-water snappers to shed light on one of Asia’s widest-consumed fish that many people do not know much about. The book is beautifully illustrated and its story is charming and straightforward, making it a sure hit with younger audiences.
Elle Wibisono’s Fishtory comics and children’s books are a remarkable blend of scientific expertise and creative storytelling, all done to cultivate a love for marine conservation in young children. Her engaging content makes concepts accessible, further cultivating children’s appreciation of marine biodiversity to create a future where marine conservation is at the forefront of people’s consciousness.
Discover more about children’s books by Fishtory and other initiatives by checking their Instagram page @fishtory.co.