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Surf & Turf is a seafood justice podcast that dives deep into the complex and often overlooked issues of access, equity, and justice in the U.S. seafood system. From the docks to the dinner plate, seafood supports communities and economies up and down the coasts, but social, political, and environmental conditions pose significant challenges to the health and well-being of the people who rely on fish for their food and livelihoods. Each week, host Dr. Caroline Ferguson speaks with an extraordinary individual working to create a more just seafood system that nourishes us all.
29 Episodes
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My guests from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Donella Miller and Elaine Harvey, discuss the many sources of contamination that threaten the health and culture of the Indigenous people of the Columbia River Basin. We also learn about a Tribal vision for energy justice. CRITFC website: https://critfc.org/Buy fresh fish!: https://critfc.org/harvest/Follow CRITFC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/critfc/
Travis Dardar is an Indigenous and commercial fisherman in Cameron, Louisiana who is fighting not just for his heritage but for the very lives of his loved ones. Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) is marketed as a "transition" energy, but in reality it is entrenching the power and pollution of the oil and gas industry, threatening the livelihoods and health of families living nearby, including fishing families. Travis is an inspiring leader and activist, and an unwitting one. Fishermen Involved i...
Sari Heidenrich joins guest host Liliana Sierra Castillo to talk about forced labor in seafood. Forced labor is sadly a reality for many people working in imported seafood supply chains. Sari (Greenpeace USA) discusses the conditions that have created and perpetuated this problem, the challenges workers face, and some possible pathways toward solutions. This conversation highlights the importance of knowing who caught our seafood to make ethical choices that nourish our bodies and those of ev...
Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD, is working to directly address medical, immigration, and social needs for fishermen and seafood processing workers in precarious, dangerous, and vulnerable jobs at the Texas-Louisiana border. Follow Shannon's lab at UTHealth on Instagram @PEOPLE_Centered
Amal Bouhabib is the Director of Southern Migrant Legal Services and defender of the Black catfish farmworkers who were paid less than white migrant workers from South Africa doing the same work. Amal is usually defending migrant workers, who also face abuse in this system. We discuss this case and the complexities of labor and immigration laws that lead to vulnerabilities for American and migrant workers alike in our seafood system. Follow Amal and Southern Migrant Legal Services at: Texas ...
Kirby Page and Radhika Sharma of Studio ATAO join me to discuss food service and hospitality workers. We talk about the hurdles these workers face to decent working conditions and education about the food system and building solidarities across the seafood supply chain. Follow Studio ATAO: At their website: https://www.studioatao.org/ On Twitter: @StudioATAOOn Instagram: @StudioATAO
J.J. Bartlett and his organization Fishing Partnership have been supporting the health, safety, and economic security of commercial fishermen since 1997. Visit: www.fishingpartnership.orgFollow:Facebook: Fishing Partnership Support ServicesInstagram: @fishingpartnershipTwitter: @fishing_partnerOn these social media channels, Fishing Partnership posts updated and current information on services available to fishing families.Check out their 90-second video: Fishing Partnership Services: "...
Dr. Rachel Donkersloot shares her research findings on how market-based fishing rights have disproportionately harmed rural, Indigenous, and low-income fishermen in Alaska. She discusses the community impacts of the commodification of fishing rights and shares insights on lowering the barriers to entry for the next generation. This conversation is part of our series on the graying of the fleet. References (linked)
It is my great honor to share the oral history of Mary Hill and her late, beloved mother, Marie Hill. Mary is a 7th generation African-American oyster harvester in Chesapeake Bay, who has worked tirelessly in the struggle for racial, economic, and environmental justice. To follow and support Mary Hill and Barrett's Neck Seafood: Email Barrettsneckseafood@gmail.com Follow Suffolk African American Cultural Society on FacebookFollow Queen Marie Hill 100th on Tiktok
Joshua Brown is the environmental literacy and workforce development lead at National Sea Grant in D.C. He joins us to talk about the Young Fishermen's Development Act, a piece of legislation that aims to address the graying of the fleet. Joshua shares with us the potential and some of the limitations of this legislation, before getting into "how the sausage is made": who fought to have this legislation passed, how it got funded (and how it didn't), and why constant pressure matters in D.C.&n...
Why aren't young people entering fisheries in the same numbers as generations past? How is this trend impacting coastal communities in New England? Andrea Tomlinson and the New England Young Fishermen's Alliance are out to address the "graying of the fleet" by supporting young people in fisheries and the development of new young fishermen and women. We discuss some of the reasons behind the trend, including catch shares and policies of privatization, as well as the diverse and important...
Prof. Tony Sutton breaks down the binary between Indigenous and non-Indigenous food, examines the long history of privatization in North America dating back to the Doctrine of Discovery, and shares his research on--as well as his personal experiences with--how damming and contamination of sea run fish impacts food sovereignty for coastal peoples in Maine.
Will Sennott is an investigative reporter at The New Bedford Light and ProPublica. Will's explosive reporting has exposed the troubling extent of private equity and foreign ownership of fishing rights in New Bedford, America's most valuable fishing port, and the negative impact that financialization has had on fishermen and fishing communities. You may recognize Will's voice from our special mini-series on seafood processing worker justice in New Bedford! Follow Will's reporting: All ...
Brett Tolley is an advocate for community-based fisheries, fighting for the next generation of fishermen as the National Program Coordinator for the North American Marine Alliance (NAMA). Brett shares his personal experience with a privatization policy known as "catch shares" in New England, his observation of the consolidation of fishing rights among a wealthy few, and the impact that this policy has had on the souls of fishing communities. Support NAMA: Follow @NAMA_net on InstagramV...
In this special bonus episode with guest host Liliana Sierra Castillo, Brynn Comeaux of the New Orleans Food Policy Action Council discusses the complex relationship between local communities and the oil and gas industry, intersectional impacts in the Louisiana Gulf shrimp fishery, the importance of locally-driven solutions, and how she navigates and resists displacement and loss. This episode provides additional context to understanding the ongoing challenges shrimp fishermen in the Gulf o...
Nico is an organizer, scholar, and sometimes fisherman on his home island of Culebra in Puerto Rico. He share his insights on the limitations and possibilities for seafood sovereignty in the context of rapid privatization of public beaches and docks by wealthy Americans new to the island and the skyrocketing prices of local homes converted to Airbnbs. We also talk about colonial policies limiting food sovereignty including PROMESA and the Jones Act, the powerful history Puerto Rican resistanc...
Queen Quet, Chieftess of Gullah/Geechee Nation, celebrates their victories over a would-be developer (as she says, "destructioneer") attempting to privatize beautiful and culturally significant St. Helena Island for a golf course and resort. Gullah/Geechee Nation is the first nation of African descendants to be recognized within the United States. Their fight for sovereignty, safety, and beauty has lessons for us all. Support Gullah/Geechee's fight: https://www.gullahgeecheeland.com/Gu...
Danielle Ringer is a commercial fisherman and fisheries anthropologist based in Kodiak, Alaska. She shares her firsthand experience and research on the "graying of the fleet" trend, privatization and commodification of fishing access rights, and a vision for managing fisheries for community well-being. Follow Danielle and her husband's commercial fishing boat on Instagram @northstarharvestLearn more about Danielle's researchEmail Danielle at djringer@alaska.eduLearn more about well...
For this very special bonus episode, I am joined by Jesuit scholastic Bryan Galligan to discuss how his Catholic faith motivates his work in nutritional and social justice, how to move in solidarity while supporting community leadership and avoiding the pitfalls of white saviorism, and what faith traditions have to offer to the fight for seafood justice. Follow Bryan on Twitter @galligan_sjFollow Caroline on Twitter @ceferguson1Follow the show on Instagram @surfandturfpodcastVisit our website...
Prof. Joshua Stoll and I reflect on themes that emerged from season one, such as the corporatization of our seafood system, the mismatch in our stated national policy goals and the reality of seafood inaccessibility for local communities, and the values that drive seafood entrepreneurs to advance a more just system for everyone. We also previous Season Two on Privatization.
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