Fish Talk

America’s fisheries are undergoing a radical revolution – some might call it a “Revol-ocean.” This Revol-ocean is led by change-makers that seek to bring more transparent, sustainable, and responsible wild-caught fish to the plates of American eaters. This episode highlights a few of these change-makers, exploring the stories and the models that are making a difference in the way that fishers harvest and consumers eat fish.

What does it take to bring your tuna sandwich to the table? A lot of negotiation it turns out and, hopefully, rules and regulations. But as we learn in this episode, a lot of tuna is caught in the lawless environment of the high seas and even the best tuna has problems. This week we’re talking to a range of experts to try to understand what makes a simple sandwich so complicated and what you can do to ensure the best-caught tuna ends up on your plate.

Management panacea or fishing in troubled waters? This episode explores how policy makers and fishermen implemented a vast network of marine reserves off the coasts of Oregon and California. It looks at the creation of these reserves and the consequences (both intended and unintended) to fish populations and local fishermen.

American striped bass have a price on their head. Highly desired by sportfishermen they are also prized as table fare. This dual nature of striped bass has set off a decades-long war between anglers and commercial fishermen. Sport anglers claim that their favorite fish is being ruthlessly hunted. Commercial folks meanwhile point to the fact that today more than 80% of striped bass mortality is actually coming from the angling community. What’s worse, catch-and-release fishing, long thought of as “good” sport fishing, turns out to have a much higher kill rate than previously thought. In this episode we’ll look at all the angles.

This episode will look at the ways in which Native communities are continuing their fishing traditions in contemporary America and revitalizing their connection with local fisheries.

Lobsters are America’s most valuable seafood. But climate change has the species in its crosshairs. In this episode we’ll look at the many challenges confronting lobstermen and try to track a course through warming waters now filled with whales and windmills.

The Great Lakes once supported some of the most abundant fisheries in the United States. Today, because of habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, and invasive species, these fisheries are remnants of their former selves. This episode investigates the last remaining Great Lakes commercial fishermen and shows the challenges they face to continue their livelihoods.

Shrimp is by far the most consumed seafood in America, but how it gets to our plates is a pretty strange tale. In this pilot episode we’ll look at the rise of the shrimp. We’ll see how alternatives to traditionally wild-caught shrimp have flooded the market and make some bets on the future.

Fish Talk is a podcast that travels from our kitchens to our coasts to better understand how fish gets to our plates. Co-hosted by Paul Greenberg, author of the New York Times bestseller Four Fish, and Nic Mink, co-founder of direct-to-consumer wild seafood company Sitka Salmon Shares.