Episode #179

James Arthur Smith

Is Regenerative Aquaculture the Future of Seafood?

James Arthur Smith
We need to cultivate fish in multitrophic, healthy environments so we can build sustainable solutions to scale & meet demand while protecting our natural resources. - James Arthur Smith Click To Tweet

The commercial seafood industry tells us that farm-raised fish should be shunned in favor of wild-caught. But that’s like a hunter’s association saying everyone should eat wild game because there’s no such thing as a healthy farm.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, you know regenerative agriculture proves that’s not true. Not all farms are created equally, and the same goes for fish farms. 

As I learned during my mind-blowing chat with James Arthur Smith, you can raise healthy, incredibly nutritious seafood that helps restore ecosystems.

He’s the founder and CEO of Seatopia, a carbon-neutral, certified mercury-safe, and antibiotic-free seafood subscription box.

He enlightened me about regenerative aquaculture, how it boosts biodiversity, and what it means to improve underwater habitats.

Done right, these healthy aquaculture projects are fish-attracting devices that make the environment cleaner and boost biodiversity rather than destroy it. - James Arthur Smith Click To Tweet

James explains why you should dive deeper than the farm-raised vs. wild-caught question and shares what you should ask instead to ensure the healthiest seafood hits your plate.

In this episode, you’ll also discover:

  • How Shamu and a steelhead trout breeding and hatchery program ignited James’ passion for regenerative aquaculture
  • When farm-raised is better than wild-caught fish 
  • The dark side of commercial and line-caught fishing
  • How microplastics and heavy metals like mercury get into our water systems and move up the sealife food chain
  • What sushi-grade fish means and why sushi chefs don’t work with fresh, wild-caught fish
  • How the carbon footprints of farm-raised vs. wild-caught fish compare
  • Best practices for freezing, storing, and using frozen fish

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