Onward: Visit the World’s Largest Open-Ocean Fish Farm | National Geographic

the open ocean is one of the most

the open ocean is one of the most pristine environments on the planet the

pristine environments on the planet the

pristine environments on the planet the water is clean it’s not impacted by

water is clean it’s not impacted by

water is clean it’s not impacted by land-based activities so it results in a

land-based activities so it results in a

land-based activities so it results in a very clean fish i’m bryan O’Hanlon the

very clean fish i’m bryan O’Hanlon the

very clean fish i’m bryan O’Hanlon the founder of open blue sea farms were the

founder of open blue sea farms were the

founder of open blue sea farms were the largest open ocean farm in the world

largest open ocean farm in the world

largest open ocean farm in the world part of the idea of open ocean farming

part of the idea of open ocean farming

part of the idea of open ocean farming is that you can move the farms closer to

is that you can move the farms closer to

is that you can move the farms closer to major infrastructure and major markets

major infrastructure and major markets

major infrastructure and major markets there’s a number of reasons why we came

there’s a number of reasons why we came

there’s a number of reasons why we came to Panama transportation infrastructure

to Panama transportation infrastructure

to Panama transportation infrastructure is unmatched to the Panama Canal is a

is unmatched to the Panama Canal is a

is unmatched to the Panama Canal is a backbone for this economy here so it

backbone for this economy here so it

backbone for this economy here so it allows us to bring in raw materials very

allows us to bring in raw materials very

allows us to bring in raw materials very efficiently and export finished products

efficiently and export finished products

efficiently and export finished products to the markets for about seven and a

to the markets for about seven and a

to the markets for about seven and a half eight miles out in the ocean it

half eight miles out in the ocean it

half eight miles out in the ocean it literally almost looks like farmland

literally almost looks like farmland

literally almost looks like farmland where you have these these large mooring

where you have these these large mooring

where you have these these large mooring grid structures which run literally a

grid structures which run literally a

grid structures which run literally a kilometre from end to end and with the

kilometre from end to end and with the

kilometre from end to end and with the different ends growing fishing inside

different ends growing fishing inside

different ends growing fishing inside its unique site because our probably no

its unique site because our probably no

its unique site because our probably no place in the world where farms are

place in the world where farms are

place in the world where farms are located over the horizon and completely

located over the horizon and completely

located over the horizon and completely open environment it’s almost like a

open environment it’s almost like a

open environment it’s almost like a thriving little town out there boats

thriving little town out there boats

thriving little town out there boats moving around different activities going

moving around different activities going

moving around different activities going on right now we can harvest it up about

on right now we can harvest it up about

on right now we can harvest it up about 20 to 25 tons in a 1:1 harvest still

20 to 25 tons in a 1:1 harvest still

20 to 25 tons in a 1:1 harvest still kind of labor-intensive but we’re

kind of labor-intensive but we’re

kind of labor-intensive but we’re working right now on trying to

working right now on trying to

working right now on trying to streamline and

look screwed

look screwed we’re kind of inventing this stuff as we

we’re kind of inventing this stuff as we

we’re kind of inventing this stuff as we go a great thing about farming in the

go a great thing about farming in the

go a great thing about farming in the oceans three-dimensional unlike farming

oceans three-dimensional unlike farming

oceans three-dimensional unlike farming crops on land you know where you have

crops on land you know where you have

crops on land you know where you have two-dimensional farming we’re not only

two-dimensional farming we’re not only

two-dimensional farming we’re not only going on a two-dimensional plane but

going on a two-dimensional plane but

going on a two-dimensional plane but we’re going deep so you can imagine the

we’re going deep so you can imagine the

we’re going deep so you can imagine the potential for productivity in the oceans

potential for productivity in the oceans

potential for productivity in the oceans just far exceeds what we can go on land

to think opening up the three oceans to

to think opening up the three oceans to new farming frontiers if you want to

new farming frontiers if you want to

new farming frontiers if you want to call it for me

call it for me

call it for me fish is really the first step we had the

fish is really the first step we had the

fish is really the first step we had the opportunity to work with cobia and it

opportunity to work with cobia and it

opportunity to work with cobia and it was it was pretty incredible to see the

was it was pretty incredible to see the

was it was pretty incredible to see the cobia just you know literally grow

cobia just you know literally grow

cobia just you know literally grow before your eyes I mean from morning to

before your eyes I mean from morning to

before your eyes I mean from morning to evening you could see growth in the fish

evening you could see growth in the fish

evening you could see growth in the fish we’re really just at the tip of the

we’re really just at the tip of the

we’re really just at the tip of the spear with look wherever you think we

spear with look wherever you think we

spear with look wherever you think we can go with cobia you know we do expect

can go with cobia you know we do expect

can go with cobia you know we do expect to diversify geographically with cobia

to diversify geographically with cobia

to diversify geographically with cobia in the future I view the open ocean as

in the future I view the open ocean as

in the future I view the open ocean as this huge opportunity in the future in

this huge opportunity in the future in

this huge opportunity in the future in the coming decades you know and it’s

the coming decades you know and it’s

the coming decades you know and it’s it’s not going to be a matter of years

it’s not going to be a matter of years

it’s not going to be a matter of years it’s going to be a matter of decades

it’s going to be a matter of decades

it’s going to be a matter of decades that we open up the oceans and we farm

that we open up the oceans and we farm

that we open up the oceans and we farm the oceans as we farm the land