Science & Society 1: The Future of Seafood

We have reached peak fish. Despite fishing farther from shore, in deeper waters, and using ever more high-tech equipment, the global catch has been declining since 1996. Overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution have rendered a once abundant and healthy food depleted and contaminated. Meanwhile, aquaculture production has increased dramatically, from providing 7% of fish for human consumption in 1974 to 53% in 2016. So what could a future of sustainable seafood look like, both wild and farmed, for a human population approaching 8 billion?

Sean Barrett, fisherman and founder of Dock to Dish, and Bren Smith, ocean farmer and founder of Greenwave and Thimble Island Ocean Farm, join host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to share their visions and grapple with the uncertainties.

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, science scholar at Pioneer Works, adjunct professor at NYU, and founder and CEO of the conservation consultancy Ocean Collectiv.

This project is supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.