Toward a Sustainable Seafood Future: Overfishing and Economics

Our oceans are increasingly threatened by overfishing. The current structure of the commercial fishing industry is exploitative of both the environment and working-class communities. To transform the industry and reestablish it from the bottom up, “Towards a Sustainable Seafood Future” proposes a resilient and sustainable modular “aquahabitat” system for Southern California that would generate kelp forest habitat and launch a new mariculture paradigm growing marketable local fish species alongside algae and shellfish. This integrated multi-trophic aquaculture approach creates a permeable, functional habitat in to attract and serve wild marine populations while creating novel opportunities in the Blue economy and reconnecting communities with the ocean and our food sources.