Mike Velings: The case for fish farming
Mike Velings understands the potential for business to create durable solutions to complex world problems. Full bio
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people on the planet --
people have been gaining height.
10 centimeters taller.
of theories about why this is,
has more than quadrupled,
with milk and eggs.
so has protein consumption.
we are getting richer.
so is our global population,
to 9.7 billion by 2050,
70 percent more protein
puts that population number,
to need a lot more protein.
Global Sustainability Institute suggested
our global policies
in the next 30 years.
as the main source of animal protein.
depend on it every single day.
are two-and-a-half times larger
can sustainably support,
far more fish from the ocean
showing that just in the last 40 years,
has been slashed in half.
that of our largest predatory species,
since the 1950s.
fishing initiatives across the planet
and better-managed fisheries.
towards keeping current catch constant.
much more from the ocean
our oceans the way we have.
for more produce,
a growing global population.
in just 35 short years
sharing the same resources?
to mandate globally.
whether we like it or not.
recently reported
from malnutrition and food shortage,
growing, global population
like water, energy and land.
riots and further malnutrition.
on natural resources.
food production systems.
shellfish and crustaceans.
Jacques Cousteau once said,
as farmers instead of hunters.
farming instead of hunting."
hearing phrases like,
virtually nothing about?
during its lifetime,
pollution it encounters.
of Fukushima yesterday.
never goes beyond the hunter
is the best food choice.
any other type of meat.
is pretty monotonous.
pretty much sums it up.
being farmed currently.
reflect that on their shelves,
in a very healthy manner
and good for the fish.
Amy Novograntz, and I got involved
in the Galapagos.
and concerned citizen,
about ocean conservation --
lead us to fish farming.
we got off the boat,
at Conservation International,
was talking about aquaculture,
to stop turning from it,
and populations need.
about this industry already
to help get it right.
consumed globally,
of the total amount of beef
of wild-caught seafood
than what we catch from the wild.
85 million tons to meet demand,
as much, almost,
out of our oceans.
going to come from the ocean.
to grow and stay alive,
eight to nine pounds of feed
inhabitant on this planet.
rain forests for it.
has a very limited supply.
that with fish farming.
with just one pound of feed,
first of all, float.
resisting gravity like we do.
animal protein available to humankind,
65 million tons that's annually caught
caught for animal feed,
for the aquaculture industry
globally, are badly managed.
of our time are connected to it.
imaginable are connected to it.
of the world's aquaculture industry
have far more problems --
there's acidification,
of our fisheries,
interconnected everything is.
these choices come from,
at the bottom of the ocean?
available to humankind.
transfered to wild populations,
with wild populations,
food that was on our plate,
system that we can trust,
technologies and knowledge
without any of these issues.
before the green revolution --
and the blue revolution.
that's perfectly natural,
seaweeds and micro-algae.
for high-grade fish meal --
it actually is to use it as fish feed.
to cut down rain forests for it.
net water producers.
species than ever before
creating happy fish.
more efficiently than insect farming,
healthy, happy, delicious fish
with a minimal footprint.
up to 10 species next to each other --
off the effluent of fish, for example.
popping up all over the globe.
and chemicals anymore,
when the fish are hungry,
and create less pollution.
data across farms,
happening all over the globe.
all of these things are possible
to what a farmer spends today.
for anyone to not do the right thing.
a big kick in the butt.
the last couple of years,
to be working on together --
across the value chain,
across the globe,
a collective vision.
change in this industry
a sustainable direction.
as far-fetched as you might think.
it needs to be one
in San Francisco or Northern Europe --
and healthy that they can trust
that they know nothing about.
farmed fish on their plate
and that's farmed healthy --
comes from and how it was produced
on the aquaculture industry
about what you eat
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mike Velings - Entrepreneur and conservationistMike Velings understands the potential for business to create durable solutions to complex world problems.
Why you should listen
Mike Velings is the co-founder and the driving force behind Aqua-Spark, a global investment fund for sustainable aquaculture, combining a healthy financial profit with environmental and social impact. A lifelong entrepreneur, Mike has spent decades jumpstarting a range of successful businesses. Among other ventures, he co-founded Connexie, which has helped catalyze a professional employment industry across the Netherlands.
Mike naturally combines his business background with environmental and social engagement. He understands the potential for business to create durable solutions to complex world problems. With this in mind, Mike founded Aqua-Spark, an investment company that assists entrepreneurs across the globe in realizing their visions of a startup with a world-changing element. Through Aqua-Spark he has invested in a broad range of ventures over the years — both in the developed and developing world.
Mike serves on several boards and is a member of the Conservation International’s Leadership Council as well as an Honorary Global Marine Fellow.
Mike Velings | Speaker | TED.com