The Fish In The Sea

As our seas and sea life face existential threats on an unprecedented scale, new approaches to fishing on the open ocean aim to turn peril into plenty. In this episode, journalist Baratunde Thurston travels to Puerto Rico to see a sustainable diamondback squid fishery born from the wreckage of 2017’s Hurricane Maria.

Baratunde Thurston joins Raimundo Espinoza, Founder and Executive Director of Conservación ConCiencia, and a local fisherman, Rodolfo Abrams, as they hunt for diamondback squid in Puerto Rico. However, their day at sea is quickly cut short as the three men are suddenly surrounded by ominous, torrential downpour – and must head back to land quickly to escape the storm.

After Hurricane Maria hit, Chef José Andrés and his team at World Central Kitchen provided meals to the people of Puerto Rico as well as issued money for fishers who needed new boating equipment, motors, and tools. According to Raimundo Espinoza, the environmental disaster highlighted the island’s need to invest in food security options that were not dependent on imports.