Will Farmed Fish Save Our Oceans, Delight Our Palates, and Provide Healthy Food for All?

May 12, 2017

UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability and the Aquarium of the Pacific jointly present a discussion on the conservation, science, economics, and best practices for aquaculture. Peter Kareiva, from the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will moderate this panel discussion on the subject of aquaculture, or farmed seafood. The global population is estimated to grow to more than nine billion by 2050. Food production will have to increase by 70 percent to meet demand, while adapting to climate change and addressing global hunger. More than 90 percent of the world’s fisheries are fished at or over capacity. Marine aquaculture offers a promising opportunity to increase food production, while reducing pressure on land, fresh water, and wild fish stocks and climate change impacts. The science, technologies, and expertise exist to leverage marine aquaculture as a tool to produce healthy, environmentally responsible sources of food.

Panelists will discuss a recent study by conservation scientists at University of California, Santa Barbara, on the economics and sustainability of offshore aquaculture, how aquaculture could serve the restaurant industry, and the details of running an aquaculture operation. Speakers include: Aquarium President Dr. Jerry Schubel, Halley Froehlich, University of California, Santa Barbara; Sam King, King’s Seafood Company: Don Kent, Rose Canyon Fisheries, and Kyla Wilson, UCLA.

The event will feature a short film, Perspectives on Marine Aquaculture in California and the U.S. A sustainable seafood tasting and student artwork from Design matters at Art Center College of Design will be on display in the Great Hall from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

When: Thursday, May 25, 2017, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Info: (562) 590-3100 or event page
Cost: $5 for public; FREE for Aquarium members, seniors age 62 and up, teachers, and students with valid ID and advanced reservations.