005: The Outlaw Ocean: Podcast Reccs from Sara A.

There are things that aren’t always enjoyable, but they are educational. This, dear reader, is one of them. The Outlaw Ocean is a seven-part series that looks at murder, modern day slave labour, environmental catastrophes, and other aspects of the generally terrible attitude and behaviour humans have towards the ocean.

To a lot of us the ocean is sort of this nebulous thing that we know exists but that isn’t real in a tangible day-to-day way. I mean, more people have been to the moon than have been to the bottom of the ocean. We know that dolphin safe tuna is the way to go, but how can your dolphin safe choice hold up against the millions of tonnes of fish and bycatch (including dolphins) that are caught through illegal drift net fishing? We were told farmed fish was more sustainable than wild fish, but, as you’ll learn if you listen to episode 5, more than 30 percent of all fish caught goes to feeding farmed fish, and the fish that are used to feed fish could be used to feed humans (or, you know, just continue living their fish lives). 

If you’re looking for a feel-good podcast, I’m afraid this isn’t it. But, if you’re looking to learn a lot about all the messed-up stuff that happens in and around the ocean, this is for you. Each episode looks at one topic and they’re a mix of travel show, true crime, and excellent reporting—the host is Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. So, not a totally enjoyable topic, but an important one that’s always really interesting. 

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