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An Ode to American Craftsmanship

No food supply chain displays the cracks in our American values more evidently than in fish. Fraud, smuggling, and waste run rampant across our country - the industry is run by corporate dynasties. American fish are purely graded on size and exporters have no incentive for quality.

Compare that to Japan: to serve their sushi in the highest quality restaurants, chefs run their own artisanal supply chains. Japanese fishermen are so focused on the perfection of their craft, many chefs consider it a privilege to buy their fish. Some fishermen have such a selective process, they refuse buyers – no matter the price.

America's Weakened Footing

Today, an estimated 80% of American fish are imported. We have a net seafood trade deficit of $20B. While other countries cut their US seafood imports in half, we pay our own tariffs when they import, process, and sell our own fish back to us. We are losing silent trade wars.

The control of our food supply is increasingly threatened. The largest seafood-harvesting country catches 18x more fish than the US. Two generations ago, domestic catfish producers dominated our local market. Today, they can’t compete with foreign prices that have driven catfish down to commodities.

As you read this, countries fly diseased fish over to our shores, disguised by bleach and dye. We have no control over the conditions our food endures - exposure to chemical additives and pathogens is par for the course. We’re not self-reliant. It’s time to turn the tide.

In Honor of the American Future

Fishing is subject to the tragedy of the commons in that all fish are accessible to everyone – so fishermen aren’t reprimanded for malpractice and waste. Regulatory efforts are piecemeal, onerous and insufficient.

The industry needs a digital spinal cord whose nerves extend to the ocean. We need to harness technology not for the sake of technology, but for the sake of humanity. For our American vitality.

A once manual practice can unlock a sea of change.

• Fish 0.1 was the hook and line fishing of pre-industrial systems.
• Fish 1.0 is the mass capture aboard industrial vessels.
• Fish 2.0 will be the automated and digitized catch and transport of fish. Onshoring our seafood, our ships automate artisanal end-to-end supply chains where you know exactly when and where your best-in-class fish were caught — and can view it all in real-time.

Robotics is just the start — we’re building the operating system of the ocean.