When does a rising tide NOT lift all boats? 

How does U.S. militarization affect the people of Palau and their seafood? 

And, in what ways do economic, racial, gender, and environmental justice issues intersect in the seafood sector?

We’ve got some mighty BIG questions on the latest episode of The Conch, and THE person to answer them. 

On Season 5, Episode 7, Dr. Caroline Ferguson Irlanda shares her eye-opening insights and solutions to pressing challenges.

A postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University and the host of Surf and Turf Podcast, Dr. Caroline and her podcast guests are FOUNTAINS of knowledge. 

Audio production and sound design by Crystal Sanders-Alvarado for Seaworthy Experiences.

Episode Transcript

Episode Guide

• :00 Intro
• 01:15 Why Dr. Caroline Ferguson Irlanda, postdoctoral researcher, started a podcast called Surf and Turf, a seafood justice podcast
• 02:18 Caroline shares her conversation with Amal Bouhabib of Southern Migrant Legal Services, who represented local Black workers in the Mississippi catfish sector in a legal case where white South African workers were paid more than the local workers
• 05:50 Season Two of Surf and Turf focused on the privatization of fisheries through consolidation of catch shares, private equity ownership of fisheries, and illegal privatization of waterfronts
• 10:04  Racial challenges and how they manifest in the U.S. seafood system
• 14:01 The question that motivates Caroline in her research: how are the harms and
• benefits of the seafood trade distributed in fishing communities? She explains a case study of the sea cucumber fishery in Palau
• 19:38 Caroline supports opposition to the U.S. militarization of Palau through her privilege and nonprofit, Allies for Micronesia Project
• 23:55  Caroline and coauthors prepared Practical Ways to Implement Gender Sensitive Fisheries and Aquaculture Research in the Pacific to provide researchers training on how to account for gender in research design
• 27:57  How to lessen inequalities in the seafood sector? Recognize that this is a very gender-diverse sector and women are EVERYWHERE!
• 29:54 The driving questions behind Caroline’s decision to earn her PhD
• 33:02 Caroline’s advice for anyone considering a PhD
• 35:19 Caroline shouts out some of her incredible podcast guests: feini yin, Queen Quet, Nico Gomez Andujar, Kirby Page and Radhika Sharma

Resources: 

1. Check out the incredible Surf and Turf podcast to learn more about the complex and often overlooked issues of access, equity, and justice in the U.S. seafood system
2. Recommend this episode to one person who is curious about the extraordinary people working to create a more just seafood system that nourishes us all.