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!)

Produced by Canadian film-maker Damien Gillis, the film reveals the problems caused by open net cage salmon farms worldwide, including the pervasive nature of the issues plaguing salmon aquaculture and features testimonials by witnesses discussing the environmental and socio-economic damage caused by poorly managed salmon farms.

The film features ghillie Brian Fraser from Scotland; John Mulcahy from Save The Swilly in Ireland; Orri Vigfusson from the North Atlantic Salmon Fund in Iceland; Alexandra Morton and Dr Daniel Pauly from British Columbia; Dr Matthias Gorny from Oceana in Chile as well as Sven Helge Pedersen, King Harald and Vegard Heggem in Norway.

Additional events accompanying the launch are focused in British Columbia:

• 29 Hour Canadian First Nations “Fast”
  Beginning on Feb 15th at 5am PT, and ending at 10 am PT on Feb 16th, Canadian First Nations members will fast for 29 hours representing the 29 fish farm Tenures in the territory of the Musgamagw-Tsawataineuk at the Vancouver office of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. More information (PDF)
• Rally to Save Wild Salmon
  On Saturday February 20th at 1PM supporters of wild salmon will rally in Vancouver’s Vanier Park. For more details, please visit www.WildSalmonCircle.com.

The Future of the Salmon We Eat

It has become clear that present methods of farming salmon are not sustainable, jeopardizing human health along with wild salmon stocks. Within just a few years, the salmon you eat might be fully grown on land using next-generation aquaculture technology using recirculation technology. Already in large-scale production in Europe and Asia for many finfish species, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) recirculate nearly 99% of their water, have no contact with the marine environment, use no chemicals or antibiotics and can be located close to the marketplace, reducing carbon miles for transport and resulting in a much fresher fish. Pittsburgh-based Aquaculture Developments, LLC is working with its partners overseas to bring this technology to the Americas.

Led by Food and Water Watch, 2009 saw the creation of the Alliance for Sustainable Aquaculture (ASA), 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.  ASA members 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.

What You Can Do Now

Avoid farmed salmon (unless it’s grown using RAS technology) and opt for sustainably-caught wild salmon or an alternative like farmed Arctic char which is grown using RAS. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Information is the key and fortunately, there’s an app for that. If you have an iPhone, you can download the free Seafood Watch app from iTunes. You can also download the Seafood Watch wallet card in PDF format directly from its author at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Most important: Ask questions! Your grocer and restaurateur need to hear from you and know that you care. Ask them what they’re serving and let them know you want to eat sustainably.

Download the FREE iPhone App

Download the Seafood Watch Pocket Guide

The Pure Salmon Campaign, is a global project with partners in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Chile.  In November 2009, 1planet1ocean president, Dr. David E. Guggenheim participated in a panel discussion during the Washington, DC premiere of Farmed Salmon Exposed.

On Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:00 AM, 1planet1ocean president Dr. David E. Guggenheim will join a panel discussion following the Washington, DC premiere of the new documentary, Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry, produced by the Pure Salmon Campaign. The 20-minute film illustrates the major environmental problems and impact of global salmon farming industry operations in Canada, Chile, Ireland, Norway, and Scotland.

A panel discussion immediately follows the film, including the following panelists:

• Chef Barton Seaver: Washington, DC chef, writer speaker, advocate – www.bartonseaver.org
• Marianne Cufone: Fish Campaign Director, Food and Water Watch
• Dr. David E. Guggenheim: President, 1planet1ocean, a project of The Ocean Foundation
• Chilean Enrique Yuri: Former employee of the Chilean salmon farming industry

When: Thursday, November 12th at 11:00 AM (lunch will be served)
Where: E Street Cinema, 555 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

RSVP for this event by Tuesday November 10th to Sam Haltiwanger at Shaltiwanger@pewtrusts.org or 202-887-1353.

Please feel free to forward this invite to your members and local networks.

PREVIEW

The Pure Salmon Campaign, is a global project with partners in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Chile, has organized one week each fall to expose the problems with the farmed salmon industry. This year, the Global Week of Action runs from November 9 – 13, 2009. As a coalition member, the Pew Environment Group joins other organizations this year in calling on industry leaders to adopt more sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices.

1planet1ocean president, David E. Guggenheim was interviewed by The Green Guide about next-generation aquaculture technologies featuring land-based, recirculating, enclosed systems.

“I’m convinced that land-based recirculating systems are the future of aquaculture.,” states Guggenheim, who also consults to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Aquaculture Developments, LLC. “These systems are being rapidly embraced in Asia and Europe as cleaner, more secure, and ultimately more profitable solutions. Unfortunately, these systems have been largely overlooked in the United States and the Americas…until now.” Read the National Geographic Green Guide Article…

The Americas are now taking notice of the benefits of next-generation recirculating aquaculture systems, evidenced especially by Canada’s British Columbian legislature committee on sustainable aquaculture which has recommended an end to salmon farming as it is now practiced in Canada’s northwest, requiring that all such facilities convert to land-based, closed recirculating systems within 5 years. Read the CBC Article…

After being nearly ignored for decades, marine conservation issues are increasingly at the forefront of the environmental agenda today, thanks in large part to the report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and subsequent U.S. Ocean Action Plan as well as the results of the independent Pew Oceans Commission, and current actions of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. The similarity of the findings of these efforts has been striking, recognizing that urgent steps are required to restore marine ecosystems. Among the most serious problems cited is overfishing and the recognition that U.S. fisheries are increasingly unsustainable and many populations will take decades to recover.

Of course, this trend is not limited to the U.S. and global overfishing is viewed as one of the principal causes of the loss of integrity of marine ecosystems and is considered a major factor in the decline of coral reef communities.

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 and sustainable alternative to fishing wild stocks and one that can bring strong economic benefits.

Next-generation facility growing barramundi in Malaysia. Such systems are based on land, completely enclosed, recirculate 97-99% of their effluent, and are more than 10 times more efficient than open pond systems. (Photo courtesy of Aquaculture Developments, LLC)

Land-based, next-generation closed-loop recirculating aquaculture systems (represented in the Americas by companies such as Aquaculture Developments, LLC) 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 in the U.S., the Americas and the world, leading to the large-scale “domestication” of fish just as has been done for many centuries with terrestrial animals.

Next-generation recirculating aquaculture systems represent a key, if not central part of the solution to meet future demand for protein from the sea while reducing and eventually eliminating the overfishing of wild fish stocks. This is because they excel across a broad range of environmental and socioeconomic issues where other forms of aquaculture fall short:

• Water Pollution: Land-based recirculating systems recycle 97-99% of their water and create virtually no discharge (including nutrients, chemicals) to natural water bodies, either marine or fresh water.

• Coastal Habitat Alteration, Destruction: Unlike coastal systems, especially shrimp farming practices, recirculating systems are inland-based and have no impact on coastal habitats.

• Disease: As a closed system allowing no contact with natural populations, coupled with strict protocols for disease detection, prevention and control, there is virtually no risk of introducing disease to the natural environment from closed-loop recirculating systems.

• Escapement: Again, as a closed system with no contact with natural waters, recirculating systems eliminate risk of farmed populations mixing with wild populations.

• Use of Antibiotics, Chemicals: In accordance with strict operating protocols, no antibiotics or chemicals are used in raising farmed fish in either UNI-Aqua or Fish Protech systems.

• Use of Fish Meal in Feed: Even today’s state-of-the-art aquaculture facilities are unable to completely eliminate fish meal as a dietary component for predatory/piscivorous finfish. This is an issue that will necessarily be resolved over the coming years and is a challenge that affects all forms of aquaculture. However, closed systems have one profound advantage over ponds and other open (flow-through) aquaculture systems in this regard: Tremendous efficiency. Because closed systems exercise complete control over their environment, they realize food conversion efficiencies and growth rates more than 10 times higher than comparable open systems, meaning that less than 1/10th the feed is required per unit of biomass of fish in closed systems. This, of course, means that less than 1/10th of wild-caught fish are needed to supply the fish meal fraction of the feed. Food conversion ratios of less than 0.8 have been demonstrated for barramundi and halibut, among others, in climates ranging from tropical to northern temperate.

• Profitability: Increasingly, the conservation community is aware that sustainable conservation and economics go hand-in-hand. Unless economic benefits can be demonstrated for an environmental solution, serious barriers to implementation will exist. The fact that land-based recirculating systems have demonstrated consistent profitability (and at a significant level of return) in Asia and Europe means that this type of technology has the strongest chance of moving forward.

• Community/Local Benefits/Scalability: Conservation often means helping communities solve problems in their own back yards. Land-based recirculating technologies are scalable, and therefore can be introduced to many different types of communities ranging from rural agricultural to urban brownfields. Helping local communities advance through a sustainable “locally grown” enterprise such as this is a goal that conservationists, business leaders and political leaders share.