This show originally aired on the TWiT Netcast Network on December 23, 2011. Visit the show page at TWiT.tv.

August 15, 2011: Our special guest is National Geographic Fellow and acclaimed chef, author, and speaker Barton Seaver, who seeks to restore our relationship with the ocean, the land, and with each other through dinner. His new book is For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking. If you’re not hungry, you will be by the end of this show! Also: A giant sea monster discovered in the UK and a close encounter with the largest animal that’s ever lived.

The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. Or listen to us on your iPhone, Android phone, WebOS phone, BlackBerry or tablet, including the iPad, with the free Stitcher SmartRadio app. See the complete list of episodes. Follow The Ocean Doctor on Twitter — Become a Fan on Facebook! Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below. Like the show? Learn how to become a sponsor.

Eating Our Way Out of the Ocean’s Problems — A Chef’s Perspective

Chef Barton Seaver (Photo: Katie Stoops)

National Geographic Fellow and acclaimed chef, author, and speaker Barton Seaver wants to restore our relationship with the ocean, the land, and with each other through dinner.

Seaver’s childhood in Washington, D.C., centered around the family dinner table. After graduating with honors from the Culinary Institute of America, he traveled extensively and found work at a small family restaurant in southern Spain. The casual, ingredient-based cooking style there would prove to be an important influence in his perception of food as an essential part of community.

A transformative trip to Morocco landed him in the seaside village of Essaouiera, where survival is directly linked to the oceans. His experience with the locals, who taught him generationsold fishing methods, helped shape his belief that, at its root, sustainability is both an ecological and a humanitarian issue.

Seaver returned to D.C. in 2005 and began his career as a chef, first with José Andrés at Jaleo, then as executive chef of Café Saint-Ex and later at its sister restaurant, Bar Pilar. In 2007, Seaver became executive chef of the sustainable seafood restaurant Hook in Georgetown, which made Bon Appétit’s Top 10 Eco- Friendly Restaurants and the Washington Post’s Top 50, Washingtonian Magazine’s Top 100. In a single year, the restaurant served 78 species of seafood, and Seaver’s devotion to sustainability led to national media attention.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium recognizes Seaver as a sustainability leader, and in 2008 he received both the Seafood Choices Alliance’s Seafood Champion Award and the title “Rising Culinary Star of the Year” from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. In 2009, he was named Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year.

The Chef at Work (Photo: Katie Stoops)

Since then, he has focused on using his knowledge and experience to link seafood to broader socioeconomic, ecological, health, and cultural issues. Locally he sits on the board of D.C. Central Kitchen, an organization fighting hunger through personal empowerment, job training, and life skills. He also collaborates with the School Nutrition Association, the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, Future of Fish, and other non-profit organizations supportive of his message that food is a catalyst for restoring health to ourselves, our communities, and our planet.

As a National Geographic Fellow, Seaver works with the global partnership initiative Mission Blue to increase awareness of the ocean crisis and inspire action. In 2010, he gave a TED Talk on sustainable seafood aboard the National Geographic Endeavour in Ecuador. He developed a list of ocean friendly substitutes for popular yet depleted seafood species, and co-created the Seafood Decision Guide to help consumers evaluate seafood based on health and environmental factors. Currently he hosts the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise, where he introduces the fishermen, farmers, and scientists working to bring more sustainable food to the table.

Click to Order Your Copy of Barton Seaver's, "For Cod and Country"

Seaver’s recipes and insights have been featured in Cooking Light, O: The Oprah Magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Lonny Magazine, ChopChop, the Washington Post, Fortune, TreeHugger.com, American University’s Kogod Magazine, and Vanity Fair. He has appeared on CNN, NPR’s All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, and Bloomberg Radio. He is also a regular guest on the radio show National Geographic Weekend with host Boyd Matson.

His three-part television series In Search of Food tells the story of the locavore movement through local farmers, chefs, and food specialists in New York, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. The series premiered on the Ovation network in May 2011.

A highly sought speaker, Seaver has been invited to give lectures at Harvard University, Yale University, Culinary Institute of America, National Geographic, and Duke University, as well as serve on numerous conference panels, including at the Aspen Environmental Forum, Blue Vision Summit, the National Restaurant Association Annual Convention, the Seafood Choices Alliance Sustainable Seafood Summit, and the Savannah Oceans Exchange. He has been selected to give featured or keynote addresses at annual meetings for Basel World 2011, The Nature Conservancy, School Nutrition Association, American Culinary Federation, and American Fisheries Society.

Like Barton on Facebook and follow him on Twitter

Pink Salmon Cakes with Dill and Mustard This has become a weeknight favorite at our house. The cakes are inexpensive and easy to put together. Add a side dish, and you have dinner for four.Two 7- to 8-ounce cans pink salmonSalt2 tablespoons mayonnaise2 teaspoons whole-grain mustardPinch of ground mace1/4 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) or fine dried bread crumbs1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill2 tablespoons butterLemon wedgesPreheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain the salmon. Flake the fish into a bowl, being careful to remove any small bones or skin that may be mixed in. Season with salt and add the mayonnaise, mustard, mace, bread crumbs, and dill. Mix gently with your fingers until it is well combined. Form into four even patties about 1 inch thick and allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb the flavor. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the butter until foaming. Add the salmon cakes and cook until they begin to turn golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Don’t touch them while they’re browning. Once the edges have browned, transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes to heat through. Flip the cakes onto plates and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4 Photos by Katie Stoops; Images and recipes reprinted with permission from “For Cod and Country” © 2011 by Barton Seaver, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Steamed Clams and Basil Pesto Steamed shellfish work with so many different flavors. Here I top clams with a bright basil pesto. It is a super-easy preparation and makes an elegant and easy weeknight meal.3 dozen littleneck clams, rinsed thoroughly (discard any that won’t close)1 cup white wine1/2 cup Basil Pesto (recipe below)2 tablespoons butter1 crusty baguette, sliced and toastedPlace the clams and wine in a covered pot over high heat. As the broth begins to boil, gently stir the clams to ensure that they cook evenly.Once all the shells are open (discard any that haven’t opened after 5 minutes), remove the clams from the pot and place them in serving bowls, leaving as much of the broth in the pot as possible. Carefully pour the broth into a bowl, leaving any sand that has collected in the bottom of the pot. Add the pesto and butter to the clam broth and stir to combine. Pour over the clams and serve with toasted bread.Serves 4 as an appetizer or light entrée Basil Pesto 1 cup walnuts 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1 cup canola oil (or, for added flavor, 3/4 cup canola oil plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil) Leaves from 1 pound fresh basil Salt Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes. The nuts should be highly aromatic, and the thin skin should be flaky. Allow them to cool. Place the nuts in a colander and toss well with your hand to remove the flaky skin— it’s bitter and doesn’t purée very well, so it is best to get rid of as much as possible. After a minute of tossing, remove the cleaned nuts from the colander and discard any skin that has sloughed off. Place the garlic and oil in a blender. Purée until the garlic is incorporated. (The garlic in the oil will help keep the basil bright green.) Add the basil leaves and purée until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Add the walnuts and pulse until the pesto is thick. Season to taste with salt. Photos by Katie Stoops; Images and recipes reprinted with permission from For Cod and Country © 2011 by Barton Seaver, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

The Pliosaur “Sea Monster”

The Enormous Pliosaur (Image courtesy of BBC)

A Paddler’s Close Encounter with a Blue Whale

Links

• For Cod and Country – Chef Barton Seaver
• “How we can eat our way out of the seafood crisis” (Featuring Barton Seaver) – Grist
• “Seafood Becoming More Scarce? (Featuring Barton Seaver) – CNN
• “Colossal ‘Sea Monster’ Unearthed” – BBC
• “Gulf Spill’s Effects Unknown for Years?” – National Geographic

This video was produced especially for and shown at the Blue Vision Summit 2011 in Washington, DC for the panel, “Voices from the Gulf,” May 21, 2011.

Learn More:

The Gulf’s Green Future: One Community’s Hopeful Example After the BP Oil Spill & Katrina

Help Us Make a Difference:

May 23, 2011: It’s a high school like no other, where you might be growing oysters during 3rd period and spend 5th period scuba diving at the bottom of New York Harbor.  The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School is a public high school whose mission is “built upon New York City’s maritime experience that instills in its students both the ethics and skills of stewardship.”  We’re joined by three students from the school  – Patricia Tapia, Florence Bloomfield, and Cesar Gutierrez – who will make you laugh, and touch your heart with inspiration while giving us all an important lesson about what motivates young students and what makes for an exceptional educational experience today. The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. See the complete list of episodes. Follow The Ocean Doctor on Twitter — Become a Fan on Facebook! Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below. Like the show? Learn how to become a sponsor.

5th Period at the Bottom of New York Harbor

Left to Right: Patricia, Cesar and Florence, all students from The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, who will make you laugh and touch your heart with inspiration while offering an important lesson about what motivates young students and what makes for an exceptional educational experience today. (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

Patricia Tapia, Florence Bloomfield, and Cesar Gutierrez are juniors at Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, a very unusual high school that offers some very valuable lessons for students, teachers and schools around the country. The school’s mission: The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School provides a rigorous, college-preparatory education built upon New York City’s maritime experience that instills in our students both the ethics and skills of stewardship. The school is founded on four educational principles:

1. The marine world provides an ideal forum for an education based on excellence, discipline and interdependence.
2. Hands-on, inquiry-based learning in a natural environment stimulates curiosity, critical thinking, and vision, all of which lead to improved academic performance.
3. All students have the desire and intellect to reach their highest academic standards when given the right opportunities and clear expectations.
4. Small schools allow students a larger stake in decision making, as well as increased personal attention, alternative assessments, and easier access to the staff.

Patricia, Florence and Cesar spoke at the Blue Vision Summit 2011 in Washington, DC and were introduced by the school founder and program director, Murray Fisher who insisted I interview the students and not him. However, Murray deserves great praise and recognition for his incredible work.

Harbor School's Rowing Team practices at the Pier 40 Village Community Boathouse in Manhattan. Sportsmanship, leadership, hard work and responsibility make team boat handling for competition a fun challenge (Photo: NY Harbor School)

Murray worked for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at Hudson Riverkeeper, where among other things he delivered education programs to schools throughout the Hudson Valley. He later helped launch Waterkeeper Alliance, the umbrella organization for the then thirty six Waterkeeper programs throughout the world. Murray left Waterkeeper Alliance in the fall of 2002 to found the NYHS with Richard Kahan from The Urban Assembly. NYHS was approved in April 2003, and Murray became the school’s Program Director. I was struck by how Murray’s vision had so quickly become reality, making a real difference in the lives of students, who in turn, are determined to make a difference for this planet.

Links

• New York Harbor School
• New York Harbor School (Facebook Page)

May 9, 2011: They are the maddening questions that haunt us when eating seafood: What fish is safe to eat? What fish is sustainable? Is farmed better than wild caught? Our guest is Marianne Cufone, now Executive Director of the Alliance for Sustainable Aquaponics, with sound advice on eating seafood and a glimpse of the fish and other food you’ll eat tomorrow. Also: The Ocean Doctor’s next expedition and more about the film, “Cuba: The Accidental Eden.”

The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. See the complete list of episodes.

Follow The Ocean Doctor on Twitter — Become a Fan on Facebook!

Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below.

Like the show? Learn how to become a sponsor.

The Fish You’ll Eat Tomorrow

Marianne Cufone, Executive Director of the Alliance for Sustainable Aquaponics, receiving kudos from her friend, Speedy

Marianne Cufone is now the Executive Director of the Alliance for Sustainable Aquaponics. At the time of this interview, she was still Food & Water Watch’s Fish Program Director. She has been involved in natural resources management, and specifically fisheries management for the past 15 years. Before coming to Food & Water Watch, she was the Managing Partner of Environment Matters, an environmental consulting firm in Tampa, Florida. Previously, Ms. Cufone was a Program Manager for a national conservation organization. She has worked with law firms, educational facilities, government entities and organizations throughout the United States on a wide range of issues including: fisheries, pollution, impacts mitigation, stewardship and outreach. She also teaches courses and guest lectures at assorted academic institutions. She currently maintains positions on assorted natural resource advisory boards for Hillsborough County, the State of Florida and the federal government and sits on several non-profit Boards of Directors. Ms. Cufone received her J.D., Cum Laude from the University of Miami School of Law through a joint Masters program in Marine Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami. She received her BA, from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Marianne Cufone talks about the fish you'll eat tomorrow. And where it comes from may surprise you...pleasantly.

Alliance for Sustainable Aquaponics (ASA) is a collaborative group of researchers, business owners, non-profit organizations and interested members of the public working to further Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) in the United States through research, education, legislative work and advocacy. We believe that RAS, closed-looped and biosecure aquaculture operations, are the best option to meet our country’s need for a clean, green, sustainable, healthy seafood source to supplement our wild fisheries.

In January 2009, Food & Water Watch hosted a Sustainable Aquaculture Summit in Washington D.C., a collaborative discussion among leading businesses, researchers, health professionals and government officials to discuss in-land, closed-loop recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The ASA was founded by several of the individuals in attendance at the Summit with the purpose of working to further RAS in the United States through research, education, legislative work and advocacy.

RAS are closed-loop systems that retain and treat the water within the system, reducing discharge of fish waste, excess food, fish escapes and the need for antibiotics or chemicals used to combat disease. Recirculating aquaculture is a cleaner, greener, more sustainable method of fish production than the open water aquaculture systems currently being pushed in the U.S.

Links

• Alliance for Sustainable Aquaponics
• Food and Water Watch
• Smart Seafood Guide (by Food and Water Watch)
• Institute for Ocean Literacy (Download “Small Fry” and more of Mark Holmes’ great music!)

Scottish government figures showed that over the past five years, the industry used a broader range of chemicals and more of them.

Campaigners claim the figures are evidence the natural parasite is becoming resistant to the treatments.

Fish lice have been blamed for damaging salmon and sea trout stocks.

According to the government’s figures, the use of chemicals used to fight the parasite increased significantly between 2005 and 2009.

Andrew Wallace, from the Association of Salmon Boards, said that when young fish migrate from rivers to the sea they can be susceptible to naturally occurring sea lice.

He added: “Now in normal circumstances there aren’t that many lice around, and the lice that are around originate from existing wild fish populations.

“But if you have a million farmed fish in a cage on the migratory route of those fish, then suddenly you’re encountering an entirely different scale of problem.

Read the rest of this article…

Note: Newswire stories are provided as a courtesy of OceanDoctor.org. Content of these articles is provided by external sources.

January 24, 2011: Like it or not, our kids are going to inherit an oiled Gulf and a troubled ocean, and their generation will ultimately have to deal with problems we’ve created. But how do we ensure they’re up to the challenge?  If you listen to multimedia artist and conservationist Mark Holmes, reaching our kids through the arts  is a powerful approach and that’s exactly what he’s doing with the newly-formed Institute for Ocean Literacy. Mark formerly worked at National Geographic where he launched the NationalGeographic.com web site and designed and art directed National Geographic Magazine. His music, graphic novels, and passion are helping to inspire our next generation. Also: Our in-depth coverage of the National  Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling continues as the Ocean Doctor guides you through the highlights of its final report.

The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. See the complete list of episodes.

Follow The Ocean Doctor on Twitter — Become a Fan on Facebook!

Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below.

Like the show? Learn how to become a sponsor.

This Week: Ocean Love Through Music: The Institute for Ocean Literacy

This week's guest: Mark Holmes, Founder of the Institute for Ocean Literacy

Mark Holmes is a multimedia artist and conservationist. He has written, photographed, picture-edited, designed and illustrated features for scores of books, magazines and web sites. He has written and recorded a number of music projects for children and adults, and has performed at schools and marine conferences across the country. Currently, he is launching the Institute for Ocean Literacy (IfOL). IfOL, a project of The Ocean Foundation, is an organization committed to teaching ocean literacy through the arts. When not engaged in ocean issues, Mark teaches digital media design courses at the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

In the past Mark worked for National Geographic where he designed and art directed more than a hundred stories for National Geographic magazine. He went on to launch NationalGeographic.com, and managed the site for nearly ten years. Since then he managed magazine and web staffs for the Ocean Conservancy, Marriott International, and the World Resources Institute – where he is currently employed today.

On May 22, 2010 President Obama established the National  Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, co-chaired by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator, William Riley. The Commission issued its report last week – on time and under budget – perhaps a first for a presidential commission. We continue our in-depth coverage and first look at the report.

Links:

Institute for Ocean Literacy (Download Mark’s music!)

National Commission on the BP Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling

Mary Queen of Viet Nam Church, New Orleans East (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

One of the hardest-hit communities by Hurricane Katrina and the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill is again demonstrating its exceptional determination not only to survive, but to breathe new economic life into its community while establishing itself as a visionary leader in green business and technology. And all the while, the community continues to strengthen its cultural heritage. Its vision: The Viet Village Urban Farm Sustainable Aquaculture Park, a project that will bring green jobs and a vibrant business model to the region while offering a sustainable alternative to fishing wild stocks and environmentally unfriendly forms of fish farming/aquaculture.

New Orleans East (NOE) is a largely Vietnamese-American community located in the wetlands of Louisiana approximately 10 miles from downtown New Orleans. NOE families lost their homes, their jobs and indeed, their entire community support system following Hurricane Katrina and the needs among NOE communities remain significant. Five years after the storm, many homes remain vacant and more than 40 percent of NOE’s residents never returned. The Village de l’Est neighborhood in NOE is a community comprised of Vietnamese Americans (about 58 percent), African Americans (34 percent), Latino Americans (7 percent), and non-Hispanic Whites (less than 1 percent). This is a particularly vulnerable population, as 26 percent of the population lives below the poverty level and 40.6 percent are renters of temporary housing. Nearly 90% of Village de l’Est residents have returned to the community following Hurricane Katrina.

Many homes in New Orleans East remain abandoned 5 years after Hurricane Katrina (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

The timing of the BP oil spill disaster has been devastating to the this community as it is still tenuously recovering from the impacts of Katrina. In addition, the announced closures of the NASA Assembly plant in NOE and the Avondale Shipyard in south Louisiana, and the ongoing moratorium on deepwater drilling have had significant impacts on employment.

The Uncertain Future of Fishing in the Gulf

One of many Vietnamese-American-owned fishing boats sits idle in Buras, Louisiana (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

There are 40,000 Vietnamese living and working in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and one in three work in the seafood industry. Vietnamese and Southeast Asian fisherman make up one-third of all shrimping vessels in the Gulf Coast. Many also work catching oysters, crabs and packaging seafood. The closure of nearly one-third of federal waters to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico due to the BP oil spill disaster has already had a devastating economic impact on the New Orleans East fishing and seafood services communities. Even as fishing closures are lifted, there is growing concern that the unprecedented level of use of dispersants in the Gulf has resulted in a massive infiltration of toxic substances into the marine food chain. The safety of seafood in the Gulf of Mexico may remain in question for many years, and the viability of the region’s seafood industry is now in question. In addition, oil and dispersants have directly killed numerous fish and other species and may have increased the size of the anoxic “dead zone” in the Gulf. Thus, even if claims that chemicals in dispersants do not constitute a threat to seafood safety are true, impacts to the Gulf’s productivity may have long-lasting consequences to commercial fishing.

Viet Village Urban Farm

Under the leadership of the MQVN Community Development Corporation (MQVN CDC), a community-driven plan was developed for an innovative urban farm. The Viet Village Urban Farm was designed to improve local food system sustainability while increasing economic opportunities for community members and providing a culturally rich community space. Intended impacts include those on engagement of a traditionally underserved community, economic opportunities, community health, cross-generational interactions, cultural traditions, and protection of natural resources. Objectives include:

• Establishing community and commercial garden plots, farmers’ market, animal husbandry, and composting area
• Meeting current demand and expanding new economic markets for small and mid-sized local growers (local chefs, charter school food service providers, local convenient stores)
• Engaging and educating local school youth and community members in animal husbandry, sustainable agriculture, and wetlands habitats.

Key benefits of the project are to:

• create local infrastructure while enhancing the degraded environment with rich soils and plants;
• create green jobs and economic growth;
• expand the economic impact of the existing farmers’ market;
• support the cultural traditions of our African American, Latino, and Vietnamese community;
• improve local food security and nutritional health;
• and be supported by a network of green infrastructure.

Landscape architect’s rendering of the Viet Village Urban Farm, a 28-acre agriculture project that will build on the community's cultural strengths – generations of experience in farming and fishing – and create new green jobs and businesses while maintaining organic practices and the highest standards of sustainability (Source: Spackman, Mossop+Michaels)

Growing Seafood — On Land

Next-generation fish farm in Malaysia (exterior). The facility recirculates 99% of its water, uses no chemicals or antibiotics and nitrogen waste supports a hydroponic vegetable farm (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

There is increasing recognition that sustainable aquaculture can play a key role in the transition toward safer, more environmentally and economically sustainable seafood production, offering a viable, safe and sustainable alternative to fishing wild stocks and one that can bring strong economic benefits. (See: Rebuilding the Gulf’s Shattered Fishing Industry – On Land). Land-based, next-generation recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer a unique combination of conservation achievements, socioeconomic benefits, and potential for scalability. Such technology could lead the way toward a revolutionary transition of fish production. A land-based, sustainable aquaculture industry for NOE is envisioned as a component of the community’s proposed Viet Village Urban Farm project and as such, represents an investment in a long-term, profitable, sustainable and green-job-creating industry with significant environmental benefits. In addition, because RAS technology remains under-commercialized in the United States, the Viet Village Urban Farm Sustainable Aquaculture Park has the opportunity to serve as a national aquaculture hub and training center, as a showcase not only of next-generation aquaculture technology, but also of the business model and community-level benefits.

As part of the comprehensive revitalization movement for sustainability and resiliency in Village de l’Est, Viet Village Urban Farm will be an intensively used productive landscape that will include a major produce market, commercial agriculture, and community gardens. These key functions will be supported by a network of green infrastructure and a range of community facilities that encourage the use of the site by everyone in the community.

Next-generation fish farm in Malaysia (interior) (Photo: D. Guggenheim)

The farm is designed to be sustainable economically, culturally and environmentally. Agricultural production will follow sustainable and organic practices, energy will be used efficiently and renewable energy sources employed, water will be managed on site, and waste will be composted. The project builds on a long tradition of productive gardening and farming in the Vietnamese community, and combines it with the entrepreneurial spirit and energy of younger generations.

Integrating an Aquaculture Park within the community offers important benefits, including an environmentally sustainable alternative to fishing, reducing pressure on wild fish stocks while offering employment alternatives for displaced fishers and seafood industry workers; a long-term investment in the community versus a short-term public assistance measure; fostering of community self-sufficiency and independence through the development of an enduring, community-friendly industry with strong growth potential, energy independence, and the ability to withstand future hurricanes, oil spills and other catastrophic events; rich socioeconomic community benefits, including green jobs, opportunities for enterprise investment and innovation, the creation of new markets, etc. Aquaculture also offers important synergies with the Urban Farm, including developing the first U.S. production of Vietnamese value-added seafood products to be marketed to the Asian-American community nationally, production of high-quality hydroponic vegetables utilizing fish farm nitrogen waste, and developing alternative (renewable) energy sources.

Progress

Two community-based workshops are planned for Fall 2010. The first, a community workshop, will draft a Plan of Action for the community that charts a course for the development of a land-based aquaculture industry. This, along with a site visit to Malaysia to assess real-world case studies of next-generation aquaculture in action, will set the stage for a follow-up workshop of socially-responsible investors to be held in December 2010. By early 2011, with the Plan of Action completed and initial funding identified, the Viet Village Urban Farm Sustainable Aquaculture Park can then advance with the completion of a technical feasibility study, followed by construction and implementation. (Parties interested in participating in the Socially-Responsible Investors Workshop, please contact us for additional information.)

Partners

U.S. President Barack Obama and Father Vien Nguyen, Chairman of MQVN CDC at the White House in May 2010 (White House Photo)

This effort is led by Mary Queen of Viet Nam Community Development Corporation (New Orleans East) in collaboration with 1planet1ocean – a project of The Ocean Foundation (Washington, DC). Additional workshop participants and contributors include: Gulf Restoration Network, Food & Water Watch/Association for Sustainable Aquaculture, Marine Ventures Foundation, SOS Marine Conservation Society, TIDEScanada, Aquaculture Developments LLC, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Organizations of Chinese Americans (OCA), NOE community fishers and seafood industry workers, and government representatives.

How You Can Help

Please help us create a new future for the Gulf and its communities.Your tax-deductible contribution to The Ocean Foundation, the project’s fiscal sponsor, will result in hands-on work that will directly benefit the Gulf of Mexico and the New Orleans East community through this forward-looking project that is designed to help the community help itself. Individuals, foundations and investment firms interested in participating in our Socially-Responsible Investors Workshop in late 2010, please contact us for additional information.

Additional Information

Download the project brief (PDF)

Gulf Dispatch: Will BP disaster spark move to a new Gulf economy (Facing South – Institute for Southern Studies; June 26, 2010)

Oil Spill Threatens Livelihood of Vietnamese Community (New York Times; May 26, 2010)

Vietnamese Community Leads New Orleans Towards Clean New Industries (Green for All; May 18, 2010)

Documentary: A Village Called Versailles (PBS; May 2010): In a New Orleans neighborhood called Versailles, a tight-knit group of Vietnamese Americans overcame obstacles to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill. A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES is the empowering story of how the Versailles people, who have already suffered so much in their lifetime, turn a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance for a better future. This powerful documentary was broadcast on PBS in May 2010 as a part of the Independent Lens series.

Featured Project

The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. See the complete list of episodes.

Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below.

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[Show as slideshow] 123►
Photos of the Louisiana trip by Alan and David Guggenheim
PBS Newshour segment on dispersants, including interview with Dr. David E. Guggenheim
Smartsheet: Featured on this week's "Tools of the Trade"

The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. See the complete list of episodes.

Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below.

Like the show? Learn how to become a sponsor.