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How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

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Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#21

Post by icefo »

Smaug123 wrote: post #16

I was a little worried by the following quote: > New farms are being built in polluted areas like Bridgeport and the Bronx River in order to soak up the nitrogen and carbon, pull out heavy metals, and re-build reefs. They're pulling out the heavy metals. Where do those heavy metals go? Into the food? I limit my intake of certain foods because of their heavy metal contents; do I have to do the same for their seaweeds?

He says that just after your quote: "Instead of harvesting food, these farms harvest ecosystem services." That means they don't sell the production

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#22

Post by delackner »

rurban wrote: post #18

This kind of farmers revolutions crop all the time in history, thanksfully! I'm a bit sceptical about the taste of seaweed having being in Japan already, but of course he is right. Just see the land farmers revolutions, fighting industrial farming with new methods. Organic farming (the "bio" label), sellers collectives, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Previously they had to fight the big mills and banks, now t…

"sceptical about the taste of seaweed having being in Japan..."

Thanks for settling that then! Nori is just the start. Kombu, a seaweed, is the basis of most soup broths in Japanese cooking, since it has a savory flavor. It would be surprising if there aren't other untapped delicious seaweeds out there for those of us who are not so set in our ways.

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#25

Post by sneak »

WalterBright wrote: post #24

This sounds like a great idea. I'd also like to see sections of ocean protected like we protect our national parks. No fishing, no motorized boats. Sort of make them "reservoirs" where natural life can be undisturbed.

Human activities are just as much a part of natural life on Earth as any other species'.

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#26

Post by rukuu_001 »

Aqua-farming shellfish is the closest thing to free protein we're going to get.

My folks are involved with farming mussels in New Zealand. The farms are in a river mouth, putting the nitrogen and phosphate runoff from farms to good use. The phytoplankton they eat is replenished 500m down-current from the mussels.

There's one major risk - the 'spat' - the baby mussels used to start a vertical mussel line - are harvested when they're washed up on a beach. Sometimes, there's no spat and no one knows why. The concern is that climate change will result in less, or no spat, and then no more mussel aquaculture.

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#27

Post by sfrechtling »

WalterBright wrote: post #24

This sounds like a great idea. I'd also like to see sections of ocean protected like we protect our national parks. No fishing, no motorized boats. Sort of make them "reservoirs" where natural life can be undisturbed.

Some countries like New Zealand and Australian have these - called Marine Reserves and limit commercial activities. They normally are in areas of great diversity (Milford Sounds) or international importance (great barrier reef).

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#28

Post by binarray2000 »

reqctomaniac wrote: post #10

We need open source resources on how to build and maintain farms like this. Unfortunately these guys are not sharing yet, at least I couldn't find any detailed information. I'd love to try this myself, but as a complete novice i'd need a lot basic information - like what species to grow, how to get seeds and plant them, etc.

Upvoted! (And I don't know, why you were downvoted) If we're doing software the open source way (and thus securing the sustainability of the software "eco" system), why not do the same for food production (and secure the sustainability of food production). Just this morning I talked to a woman on the Sunday market and she told me about a guy who, even thou he has his own green houses and makes a living doing that, gives all that info to who ever is interested (best produce to grow, best timing for the market etc.) Concentration of this knowledge (or even patents) in the hands of a few is bad, bad, bad.

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#29

Post by polskibus »

Very interesting idea, I wonder how is it affected by pollution from ships. Ship pollute much more than cars because they burn the lowest quality of fuel and somehow managed to withstand regulatory pressure.

So is this 3d farming still producing great food if all the water is polluted by ship waste?

Re: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Are Starting an Economic Revolution

#30

Post by marcus_holmes »

sfrechtling wrote: post #27
WalterBright wrote: post #24

This sounds like a great idea. I'd also like to see sections of ocean protected like we protect our national parks. No fishing, no motorized boats. Sort of make them "reservoirs" where natural life can be undisturbed.

Some countries like New Zealand and Australian have these - called Marine Reserves and limit commercial activities. They normally are in areas of great diversity (Milford Sounds) or international importance (great barrier reef).

or, like here in Perth, just off the coast of a major city.

There's a lot of local controversy because people believe that sharks living in the protected reserves are a danger to the people swimming off the city's beaches.

But politically this sort of conservation is very fragile. It's fine as long as no-one with any power wants to do anything profitable in the protected areas. But previous governments have caved in easily under commercial pressure.

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