Oceansphere And The Blue Revolution

Growing up in Kakaako, I regularly fished at Kewalo Basin, only a few minutes walk from my home. The excitement of a school of sayori appearing to chumming bread, and that sudden catch is an experience you just can't forget.

While aquaculture now supplies half the seafood we consume, the hunting and gathering tradition in the open ocean is finally at the threshold of transition, not unlike the period 11,000 years ago when wheat began to be farmed in the Fertile Crescent. China produces two-thirds of farmed fish, mostly grown in freshwater, while Norway and Chile lead in the marine production of cultivated salmon. Then, of course, there is Neil Sims and his Kona Kampachi to the left.

To the surprise of many, international trade in seafood dwarfs other commodities such as sugar, tobacco and rice, now approaching 100 billion annually. But here are the problems and opportunities:

- all fisheries are in advanced stages of depletion

- most aquaculture facilities challenge the land and sea environment

- nutrition patterns are changing from red meat to marine products, and world population continues to grow

- there is a rising demand for oily ("omega-3 fatty acids, for example") fish to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases

- a decade ago fish was cheaper than steak--today, high quality seafood is more expensive than meat

"Just this week I paid 38/pound for a small piece of chu-toro (medium fat blue-fin tuna--this one to the left actually sold for 1238/pound in Tokyo"), and even more per pound for salted salmon eggs. While the very best wagyu beef in Tokyo can sell for 150/pound, when was the last time you even saw a 15/pound rib eye in a market? In Hawaii, a lobster sells for 16/pound, but the real cost is 40/pound because the flesh is around 40% the total weight.

So what can be done about seafood production? Well, for one, you can extend salmon cage culture by cultivating other species, but in a manner that is compatible with the marine environment.

"A colleague, Bill Spencer, CEO of Hawaii Ocean Technology, Inc (HOT"), finally did get State of Hawaii approval to raise big-eye and yellow-fin tuna in his patented Oceansphere. According to Bill, Hawaii imports 85 of the seafood we consume. While this 50th State has been a pioneer in tapping the coastal riches of our ocean, HOT spent a lot of time and money wading through the laws, while contending with the opposition, largely environmentalists and a Hawaiian group or two. The Maui Chapter of the Sierra Club, for example, is not happy.

Hawaii imports most of the energy we use, food we eat, and almost everything else. If our long professed goal is to reach for independence and sustainability, why is it that we are opposed to wind power, mariculture and geothermal energy? Yes, industry has in the past polluted our land, waters and atmosphere, but that does not mean every development is bad. HOT is exactly the kind of enterprise we need to make for a progressive state.

I just this week was asked to support a group protesting a biomass power project on the Big Island. What it came down to was that a mother was concerned that her children would breath the fumes and particulates from the nearby powerplant. I can sympathize with her, but what is the solution for NIMBY (not in my backyard)? While the gripes, protestations and red tape hurdles will continue, Bill has come a long way and I hope the perseverance and finances to eventually succeed. Hawaii needs more companies like HOT to lead the way. Government and citizen groups should do a lot more to encourage, not discourage, the efforts of well-intentioned firms.

Anyhoo, while cage-culture is a necessary bridge to food for our future, can we hope for better in the long-term future, for it is reported that it takes five pounds of wild fish to produce one pound of salmon. Experiments are ongoing to reduce this ratio by substituting other protein and carbohydrates, but why not have your stock feed itself? The ultimate ocean ranch is a concept I've been dreaming about for several decades. To quote from my "HUFFINGTON POST" article:

1. Place these ranches in the open ocean away from coastal environments.

2. Link to the cold water effluent of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plantships. These waters are very high in nutrients in the exact ratio and composition needed for sea life.

3. Conduct the basic science and engineering for the process:

a. Utilize nutrient or temperature barriers (i.e., no cages).

b. Close the growth cycle so that no feeding is necessary (see #2).

c. Acoustically harvest the seafood (not too adventuresome, but sound can attract fish).

d. Develop the robotics to protect the bioproduct.

e. And so on.

For now, I look forward to enjoying some King Ahi sashimi in the not too distant future. By 2020, perhaps grazing Blue Revolution plantships like the Pacific International Ocean Station can provide a wide range of open ocean seafood products from next generation fisheries featuring the ultimate ocean ranch.

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