The Blue Revolution : Hunting, Harvesting, and Farming Seafood in the Information Age

"Overfishing. For the world's oceans, it's long been a worrisome problem with few answers. Many of the global fish stocks are at a dangerous tipping point, some spiraling toward extinction. But as older fishing fleets retire and new technologies develop, a better, more sustainable way to farm this popular protein has emerged to profoundly shift the balance. The Blue Revolution tells the story of the recent transformation of commercial fishing: an encouraging change from maximizing volume through unrestrained wild hunting to maximizing value through controlled harvesting and farming. Entrepreneurs applying newer, smarter technologies are modernizing fisheries in unprecedented ways. In many parts of the world, the seafood on our plates is increasingly the product of smart decisions about ecosystems, waste, efficiency, transparency, and quality. Nicholas P. Sullivan presents this new way of thinking about fish, food, and oceans by profiling the people and policies transforming an aging industry into one that is "post-industrial"--fueled by "sea-foodies" and locavores interested in sustainable, traceable, quality seafood. Catch quotas can work when local fishers feel they have a stake in the outcome; shellfish farming requires zero inputs and restores nearshore ecosystems; new markets are developing for kelp products, as well as unloved and "underutilized" fish species. Sullivan shows how the practices of thirty years ago that perpetuated an overfishing crisis are rapidly changing. In the book's final chapters, Sullivan discusses the global challenges to preserving healthy oceans, including conservation mechanisms, the impact of climate change, and unregulated and criminal fishing in international waters. In a fast-growing world where more people are eating more fish than ever before, The Blue Revolution brings encouraging news for conservationists and seafood lovers about the transformation of an industry historically averse to change, and it presents fresh inspiration for entrepreneurs and investors eager for new opportunities in a blue-green economy."--EBSCO "The prevailing notion about the world's oceans is that they've been critically overfished for years in an ongoing cycle of crash and revival. This book argues instead that there is reason for optimism: the industrial era of exploitive fishing and habitat destruction is being replaced by a new "post-industrial" age driven by technology, science-based policies, data-driven transparency, and creation of new markets that are stabilizing fisheries even as global demand for lean protein surges. Sullivan describes new innovative models developed in New England and around the world that are modernizing the way we harvest and farm marine protein. This book is for those who are concerned about marine conservation and ocean health, with a special emphasis on entrepreneurs, technologists, and investors who see the traditional and aging fishing industry as ripe for technological transformation. This audience also includes the burgeoning "sea-foodie" and "locavore-fish" movement. Sullivan's intent is to raise awareness of what he colloquially calls Fishing 4.0-a new way of thinking about fish, oceans, and food that counters the "doom and gloom" scenarios and encourages a new generation of fishers to be change-makers in one of the world's oldest industries"-- Provided by publisher For the world's oceans, overfishing is a worrisome problem. Many global fish stocks are at a dangerous tipping point, some spiraling toward extinction. But there is a new way to think about fish, food, and oceans. The Blue Revolution tells the story of the recent transformation of commercial fishing, where entrepreneurs are applying newer, smarter technologies to modernize fisheries in unprecedented ways that relieve overstressed oceans. Nicholas P. Sullivan presents this new way of thinking by profiling the people and policies transforming an aging industry into one fueled by "sea-foodies" and locavores interested in sustainable, traceable, quality seafood. The Blue Revolution brings encouraging news for conservationists and seafood lovers about the transformation of an industry historically averse to change, and it presents fresh inspiration for entrepreneurs and investors eager for new opportunities in a blue-green economy.