The Blue Fish Radio Show

For thousands of years people harvested fish for food. Fish still constitute the prime source of protein for over a billion people. Big Jim Mclaughlin reflects on the evolution of fishing as a sport, the practice of catch-and-release fishing, and how we are returning to the sustainable harvest of fish.

Navionics is a world leader in the production of navigation and sonar charts. For those of us who love to boat and fish, it’s an important tool to have on board. It’s also helping to ensure the future of fish and fishing. Find out more about how Navionics is supporting anglers and researchers and how Navionics has leveraged the sharing of citizen science to ensure the future of fish and fishing du...

Commercial fishing has been taking place on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River in different forms for over 200 years. Find out how the Ontario Government is working to ensure current commercial fisheries are sustainable and economically viable. Meet some of the students that split their summer working aboard MNR research vessels and dissecting fish in labs.

Colin Lake from the Glenora Fisheries Station speaks with Lawrence Gunther about the challenges maintaining a balanced and vibrant ecosystem in Lake Ontario, and how Hamilton Harbour is being turned from an industrial victim back into a strong and diverse fishery. Come alon for a tour of the Glenora Fishery Station’s 75-year old aquariums

Colin Lake on Lake Ontario Salmon and Bay of Quinte Walleye Description: Colin Lake is a lead biologist with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and is in charge of programs run out of the Glenora Fisheries Station. Learn why Pacific salmon were introduced into Lake Ontario, and why the Bay of Quinte remains one of the greatest trophy Walleye fisheries in North America in spite of rising water...

Science and local knowledge is essential in determining how fish can be caught sustainably. Innovations led to the world's sudden decline in fish stocks, and are now needed to return fishing to its once former source for sustainable food. Hear about what should and should not be taking place in our oceans, lakes an rivers, and how you can apply this knowledge to your own sustainable fish harvestin...

Dr. James Locascio from the Mote Aquarium is pioneering the application of acoustic monitoring to identify key fish habitat. Listen as James explains the importance of understanding the fit between fish and their habitat, the different forces that impact this relationship, and how his acoustic research is bringing a new awareness to these interactions. We also gain a greater understanding of how f...

Kate Le Souef, manager of the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-Up at the Vancouver Aquarium, speaks with Lawrence about the importance of engaging volunteers in positive actions as a way to start people along the path of stewardship. While the initiative has no plans to change, for many of its volunteers, the Clean-Up represents their first and now routine action taken to ensure Canada’s oceans, lak...

Vancouver Aquarium researchers believe it’s the micro plastics in our oceans that present the highest risk to animals and ourselves. They are working hard to understand our dependence on plastics and their impact on life. The Vancouver Aquarium founded the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-Up program, and is working even harder to educate citizens about the environmental impacts of our lifestyle choi...

Ocean Wise, a sustainable fish indicator now found in over 600 restaurant menus is leading the way on educating people about the sustainability of their food choices. Hear why the Vancouver Aquarium took a different approach to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, and why it’s their dream to see the program come to an end.

Lawrence tours the Vancouver Aquarium and gets hands-on with Orca jaws, egg purses and a variety of other interactive exhibits.

Purchasing only those wild fish stocks harvested sustainably was first trumpeted to consumers as an empowerment by the Monterey Bay Aquarium through their Seafood Watch Program. Now replicated throughout the world, Seafood Watch has done more to promote sustainable fishing than any other single initiative in the world. But, it didn’t happen over night, and there was resistance.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium plays a leading role in rebuilding Sea Otter populations from their low of 50 to the current 3,000 animals that make California's coast their home. So much more takes place at the aquarium that goes well beyond the glass walls of their amazingly huge tanks, such as tagging and tracking Great White sharks. , championing legislation to block the trade in shark fins, or cond...

Keeping a world-class public aquarium facility sustainable involves numerous aspects beyond making sure the over 20,000 animals inside the aquarium are receiving sustainably harvested food that totals 100,000 pounds yearly. Water handling, power consumption, and waste management are all part of the sustainable approach to running aquariums. But, this aquarium thinks outside the tank too, and is pl...

Listen as Brian Baird, Director of Ocean and Coastal Programs at San Francisco’s Bay Institute, discusses the evolution of California’s ocean conservation policy including Governor Schwarzenegger's initiative to form an action plan on the ocean, it’s connection to the marine sanctuary initiative later enacted by President George Bush, and ultimately, led to marine protection areas. Protection Area...

San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay has transitioned from a for-profit organization to a leading non-profit group responsible for bringing key stakeholders together in the interest of educating and empowering citizens. Informal science education now drives everything the Aquarium does, including connecting visitors to the many different species of sharks that make San Francisco Bay home. Mostly th...

The Aquarium of the Pacific is a leader in making sure the three billion people that derive their protein from the sea do so sustainably, including the harvesting of kelp and jellies. They are also leading important citizen-based research on sea turtle conservation.

Twenty years observing Orcas gives this whale watch boat captain and owner of Island Adventures remarkable insights about Whales on the west coast. Listen as Captain Shane relates stories about how whales are watching us and their ability to forgive. Links follow: Island Adventures (@sanjuanwhales) | Twitter Island Adventures Whale Watching Facebook video and photo gallery: http://www.island-adven...

Lee Willbanks is the official River Keeper for the Upper St. Lawrence and is working hard to have the River removed from the list of top ten most endangered rivers. Implementation of the International Joint Committee's 2014 plan for the St. Lawrence is all that's needed. Listen as Lawrence and Lee talk about what happened to the aquatic habitat on the river and what it will take to bring it back....

Located in Long Bay off the coast of Los Angeles California, the Aquarium of the Pacific is ideally located to conduct research on whale behaviour. Their research has determined that ships entering and departing from one of the U.S.'s busiest ports pass directly through a preferred feeding area for whales. Moby Dick is no match for these colossal conveyors of the sea which are arriving at port wit...

Thanks to the St. Lawrence River Institute on Environmental Science for hosting folks from the Upper St. Lawrence River Keeper so they could offer volunteer river keeper training to the over 40 people that, like me, showed up to receive their training.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Board just conducted the largest survey of citizens about the lakes and there's unanimous agreement that we need to safeguard the water and it's aquatic life. Listen as Dr. de Loe, Canada's Co-Chair on this important International Joint Commission Board, speaks with Lawrence about his plans to work himself out of a job by making fish from the Great Lakes completely sa...

Community Supported Fishing is modeled after the agricultural movement that is matching growers with buyers, only this is fresh seafood to your door from fishers you know and trust. Josh Stoll from the University of Maine is helping launch CSF's throughout North America through his www.localcatch.org program, and the results are benefiting everyone involved. Listen and learn how these community-ba...

San Diego is known for more than just it's famous zoo. It also hosts the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the University of Southern California, and the Birch Aquarium -- all of which are located within sight of each other. What you get is world-leading research being showcased by the Birch Aquarium. However, their exhibits are just the tip of the iceberg. Look behind the super-sized aquarium in...

Bears Belugas and the Aquarium du Quebec Description: in this field visit, Lawrence and his family are hands-on sharks, Rays, starfish and more as they use all their senses to explore the Aquarium Du Quebec. The General Curator, Jill Marvin, discusses the important role their polar Bears play in supporting field research, the diminishing numbers of Beluga whales in the St. Lawrence and how the Aqu...