Bren Smith: High Seas, Aquaculture, and How to Eat like a Fish (#46)

Bren Smith is a commercial fisherman turned ocean farmer, author of the book “Eat Like a Fish,” and the founder of GreenWave, a network of regenerative ocean farms found worldwide. Join us in today’s episode as we discuss how Bren decided to make the leap from commercial fishing in some of the world’s most hostile fisheries to aquaculture and, ultimately, regenerative ocean farming. We discuss how 3D farming is the farm of the future and how kelp is the new kale, and how YOU, today, can help make a big impact on our oceans.

Connect with Bren: website|book

Quick Links
Newfoundland
Fishing in the Bering Sea
Jacques Cousteau
Atlantic Cod Moratorium
Pacific Northwest indigenous communities’ clam walls
Carbon footprint
Shellfish
Long Island Sound
Stony Creek’s Thimble Islands
Community Supported Fishery (CSF)
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Irene
Oysters’ filtration systems
3D ocean farming
Mussel socks
Kelp hatchery
Kelp stipes (stems)
Bioplastics
ROV
Sargassum

Episode Notes: 

00:31 – Bren Smith’s background is in commercial fishing. Hear him talk about how he got started in this industry and what it was like. 

4:36 – “Humans get too good at what they do.” 

4:43 – Bren provides insight into how industrial fishing changed after World War II. 

5:10 – What made Bren pivot away from commercial fishing? 

7:06 – Bren shares his experience working on a salmon farm and his thoughts on aquaculture. 

8:14 – Bren explores the question, “What does it make sense to grow on the ocean?” after leaving the salmon farm. 

10:33 – What can happen when farmed fish escape into the wild? 

12:38 – Seafood mislabeling is a big problem with both wild-caught and farmed fish, which leads to the question: “What fish should you eat?” Bren shares how and where he buys fish and acknowledges the difficulties the average consumer experiences while trying to sustainably eat fish. 

15:02 – Bren tells the story of how he remade himself into an oysterman. 

15:53 – Hurricanes Sandy and Irene were major setbacks in Bren’s oyster farming experience, but they led him to adapt and think about what a climate resilient farm would look like. 

18:32 – “Believe me I never ever in my life planned in my life to grow vegetables underwater.” Bren adds kelp to his oyster farm and develops a 3D ocean farming concept. 

19:32 – Bren teams up with one of the world’s experts in seaweed farming, Dr. Charlie Yarish.

20:24 – Bren explains how kelp is seeded on his farm.  

23:00 – Kelp has been used as fertilizer for generations, including for hundreds of Midwestern farms. 

23:29 – Plastics in the ocean is a big problem; Bren discusses the many uses of seaweed, including using it as packaging in place of plastic. 

24:38 – Kelp is the new kale. 

25:14 – Falling in love with a foodie encouraged Bren to work with chefs to discover many creative and delicious ways to incorporate kelp into ocean-friendly cuisine.

26:17 – In what way is kelp like wine? 

29:14 – Bren shares the story of how his organization Green Wave came to be, and what the nonprofit is working on currently. 

33:40 – It’s exciting that right now, ocean farming is essentially a “blank slate.” Bren explains why. 

37:12 – Bren walks the listeners through the beginning steps of starting a sea farm. 

40:45 – Organic v. regenerative farming, what’s the difference?

45:00 – Advice for aspiring sea farmers. 

46:49 – Bren shares a story from the time of the cod stock crash that involves the manufacturing of seat belts for pets. 

48:23 – Bren’s takeaways for listeners.