NIMA & CHRISTINE
WHO ARE THEY
Nima Tisdall and Christine Hebert are the two co-founders of Blue Lobster, a digital marketplace in the form of a mobile app, that connects low impact, sustainable fishermen with conscientious chefs in the restaurants, canteen and catering industry. “Our mission is to make sustainable fishing practices the status quo and the economically desirable choice”
A MISSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND A HEALTHY OCEAN
Through their work, Nima and Christine only work with fishermen using low impact practices, i.e. using fishing methods that do not damage the ocean floor and the marine ecosystem. “We believe that it is incredibly important to support the fishermen using these techniques so that we are able to ensure a healthy sea ecosystem for generations to come”.
As Nima and Christine suggest, “on a systemic level, there are too many incentives that reward overfishing and under-reporting. Profiting off the ocean has led to terrible trends that damage marine ecosystems across the world, ruining biodiversity, as well as contributing to climate change.
On an individual level, it is easy to forget the damage that is happening below the surface. We are not physically confronted with diminishing fish populations or a dying ocean floor. Overall, our society is removed from the food we eat - fish being a very severe case of this, because we do not get accustomed to different species growing up the same way we understand what a chicken, cow or pig is”.
A TRUE CONNECTION TO THE OCEAN
“I grew up next to the ocean, so it was an integral part of my everyday life. I feel incredibly privileged to be born into the circumstances that I was, and if I feel a debt to the world to make sure I am contributing positively to others. Right now, climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our generation.” - Nima
Nima and Christine spend a lot of time at the harbours, often working side by side, or going out on fishing trips with the local fishermen. On their recent trip to the Faroe Islands, they had the chance to learn how to long-line fish with some of the local sustainable fishermen.
“The ocean has always been my safe space. My mom started taking me swimming when I was just a few weeks old. We used to spend our summers in Maine, USA - where I would swim, kayak, sail and eat all of the delicious things that the fishermen pulled up in their traps. In high school, I got my scuba certification. This opened a whole other world of the sea to me. The concept of sustainability came later - but it’s always been important to me to treat the sea with respect and make sure that we always have this resource and sanctuary to turn to. Its importance in mitigating anthropogenic climate change has also become increasingly evident - so it’s also important to life outside its waters!” - Christine
EVERYDAY OCEAN HEROES
Ocean Heroes are for Nima and Christine not always in the spotlight. They are “all those who stand up for what’s right in the face of adversity. People who question the status quo. Even in progressive communities, the status quo can be something that we take for granted. In order to always be moving towards a better future, we need to question the way things are - even if they seem reasonable and logical”.
Carbon sequestration, its sanctuary, and the amazing food it provides us that we often take for granted is something they would like to thank the ocean for.
#Tavaha
To them, #Tavaha means making sure that the ocean is clean, healthy and a place for refuge. “The ocean takes up most of the surface area of earth and impacts our entire global ecosystem. Sometimes we forget that.”
Their three #Tavahatips are:
Stop littering and recycle - too much plastic is ending up in our oceans
Pick up trash when you see it!
Buy low impact, wild-caught seafood
TAKING ONE STEP CLOSER
If you are a restaurant owner or chef, you can order your fish delivery through the Blue Lobster app for iOs and Android. Let us know if you do - post a story using @nordicoceanwatchdenmark #Tavaha !
More information at www.bluelobster.app.