May 28, 2013
Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless’s New Book, The Perfect Protein, Released Today!
The Perfect Protein Trailer from Oceana on Vimeo.
We’re thrilled to announce that today is the launch of Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless’s new book, The Perfect Protein! As the CEO of Oceana, Andy is dedicated to the protection of our world’s oceans. Over the years, however, he realized that the work Oceana does to save the world’s oceans was not just helping to preserve the oceans’ biodiversity; it was also resulting in more food for people. In other words, it’s a win-win: When we adopt practices that conserve and protect our oceans and the creatures in it, we also create stocks of healthy, nutritious protein for the people of our world.
This idea is so unusual, so revolutionary, that Andy felt compelled to write a book explaining this phenomenon of simultaneously working to save the oceans while also managing to produce a protein that can help to feed the world – The Perfect Protein.
Current projections show that 64% of the world population will be living in conditions of water scarcity by 2025. 30 percent of the planet’s land is already used for grazing livestock, and most of that was once forested. With land and fresh water resources already taxed to dire levels, how in the world are we going to feed a population that grows by 220,000 mouths every day? The answer is in our oceans.
Unlike poultry, pork, beef, or other animal proteins, wild seafood requires no land and minimal fresh water, and produces far less greenhouse gases than other animal proteins. With 9 billion of us estimated to be on the planet by 2050, food demand will increase by 70 percent above today’s levels. A billion people on Earth already depend on seafood as their primary source of animal protein, and most of them are in developing countries. If we restore the world’s fisheries and choose to fish our oceans in a sustainable manner, we could provide 700 million meals a day in a way that is forever sustainable. This idea is what The Perfect Protein is all about – saving the oceans, to feed the world.
Seafood is one of the healthiest foods for your body – it’s brimming with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, and an excellent source of essential trace minerals like iodine. Luckily, it’s also delicious, and The Perfect Protein emphasizes that as well. So many delicious types of seafood – clams, mussels, squid, and small fish like sardines and mackerel – are sustainable. Some, like oysters, even give back to the oceans, so we encourage you to eat them and enjoy! The Perfect Protein also includes sustainable seafood recipes from over 20 chefs including Eric Ripert, Rick Bayless, Carla Hall, and Emeril Lagasse. We hope these delicious, healthy recipes may inspire you to try a new fish or new dish that is good for both you, and the oceans.
The Perfect Protein takes the work we do here at Oceana to another level, because it urges us not only to save the oceans and protect the creatures in it, but also use this work to provide healthy and nutritious meals to billions of hungry people around the world.
To learn more, please visit The Perfect Protein official website, join our Facebook page, and join us on Twitter with the hashtag #perfectprotein.