How many Green Wave farms does it take to feed the world?
GreenWave’s sustainable fishing practices will make you question your place in the food system. By choosing seafood that is sourced in sustainable manners, we protect our oceans for the future. By choosing 3d renewable farms, we do not just protect food stocks. We protect communities, fight climate change, and contribute to the crowd sourced revolution.
Brandon Smith, executive director of GreenWave says that if they had their farms covering an area as large of Washington state, they could feed the entire world. And it wouldn’t be for a year. They could feed humanity for the rest of time. Because GreenWave does not rely on harvesting dwindling food stocks. And that is the core of how they are shaping our entire understanding of sustainable fishing practices. Their farms replenish. What exactly is the GreenWave organization and why are they changing the way we look at sustainable fishing practices?
Sustainable fishing practices built from the ocean floor up
In 2015, GreenWave earned the Buckminster Prize. This prize was awarded not just for their environmental work, but because of the scalability of their design. That is important. This organization has been around for just under a year, and they are spreading like wildfire. But instead of destroying, they are creating. GreenWave is building up speed, with 16 farms either in production or in the setup phase.
What makes a GreenWave farm so special?
The 3d farms are amazing. Imagine an underwater garden. Hurricane proof, roped in, with kelp growing vertically up and down. Scallops and muscles grow, and below them oysters. On the ocean floor itself are clams. Making the shift from fishing to 3d ocean farming is one of the most influential sustainable fishing practices there is.
The underwater gardens, called restorative farms, are everything anyone concerned with sustainable fishing practices and global warming. They are changing the way we look at sustainable fishing practices as a way to grow and harvest rather than to take from at risk fish stocks. Brandon Smith, executive director of GreenWave used to be part of the fishing industry that he now views as destructive. He is a testament to how one person changing their identity can influence the world.
How do these farms fight climate change? One word. Kelp. The kelp soaks up carbon, and instead of our eating habits destroying the environment, we can help restore it. Kelp is incredibly efficient at absorbing carbon. Compared to land based plants, it works five times faster.
Open sourced sustainable fishing
If you read our article on the incredible Global Fishing Watch which allows anyone with an internet connection to “fight illegal fishing”, you know there is a trend to crowdsourcing sustainability in the seafood industry. GreenWave was not build to make money. It is a non-profit that is sharing the tools to create restorative farms around the world.
Anyone with 20 acres and boat can create one of these farms. They are designed to train and create people who can go forward.
The longterm plan: GreenWave reefs
GreenWave is steadily growing. And when people work together, great things happen. 25-50 farms supported by land based infrastructure transforming the way we look at sustainable seafood practices.
How sustainable fishing practices create jobs
GreenWave does not exist to make a profit. But the fact that their farms are made to be easily replicated means there is profit – for anyone who makes one of these farms. They are an investment that require very little skill or money to set up, and they will replenish and renew every year. This creates jobs as people farm and manage the farms.
The longterm plan of the GreenWave reefs are where things get very interesting in terms of the positive effect on local communities. When enough farmers work together to set up 25-50 farms, they create a GreenWave reef. This creates a seafood hub. GreenWave is not just involved with farms, and have actually create a restorative hatchery. But it does not just create jobs. It protects the communities from storms, like they were protected before unsustainable fishing practices depleted the natural reef systems.
Only time will tell if the GreenWave model is strong enough to grow exponentially. If it does, investment money is going to pour in.
Sustainable seafood farming means no fertilizers or antibiotics
These farms are resilient. They require no input. Once you have created the farm, it is self-sustaining. That means no antibiotics or fertilizer. These farms are not off-limits for those that do not own them. The way 3d ocean farming works, people can still enjoy the space, boating around the farms without problem.
We wish the best of luck to GreenWave and their impact of sustainable fishing practices
GreenWave has had some explosive growth for such a new organization. That usually means they have a very solid idea with a lot of demand. We sincerely hope that they are able to continue in their success and grow their dreams into reality. It’s time to stop hearing news about coral reefs dying and start hearing news about GreenWave reefs being born. It’s time to change the way we look at sustainable fishing practices.
I have always been fascinated by the creation and culture of different foods, particularly sushi and sashimi in the modern era of Japanese cuisine. I am a classically trained chef and sushi connoisseur, also having operated a food service company and enjoy investigating and experimenting with food around the world.