The Catch podcast

The Catch podcast
The Catch podcast

Coming up on Season 3 of The Catch, hear how one of the Arctic’s most valuable fisheries—cod—is being impacted by the politics of Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as changing fish migration patterns due to climate change. Host Ruxandra Guidi heads to northern Norway to meet with the fishers and processors caught the middle. Follow and listen to The Catch wherever you get your podcasts.

Ruxandra Guidi headshot
Ruxandra Guidi headshot

About the host: Ruxandra Guidi has been telling nonfiction and news stories for more than two decades. Her reporting for public radio, magazines, and various multimedia and multidisciplinary outlets has taken her throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South and Central America, as well as Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico border region. She’s a native of Venezuela.

Watch the Trailer:

Season 3

Episode 1

Season 3 of The Catch Coming Soon

A new episode every week, starting Nov. 14.

Episode 2

Part 1: In Cod We Trust

How northern Norway’s cod fishery is caught up by the politics of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Episode 3

Part 2: Cod of War

Icelandic President Gudni Th. Johannesson on the Cod Wars.

Episode 4

Part 3: Make the North Great Again

How businesses and stakeholders prevented future cod collapses.

Episode 5

Part 4: Of Cod & Country

How fish farms are shaping local Norwegian economies.

Episode 6

Part 5: Holding the Line

What do politics have to do with it?

Episode 7

Part 6: Cod Almighty

What can the Arctic region tell us about fishery conflicts in the future?

Episode 8

Bonus Episode: Preventing Fisheries Conflict Around the World

Foreign Policy teamed up with the Walton Family Foundation for a live podcast taping at COP28.

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Lead Producer: Rosie Julin | Managing Editor: Rob Sachs | Co-Reporter: Eskild Johansen | Additional Assistance: Avian Muñoz

Season 3 of The Catch Coming Soon

Coming up on Season 3 of The Catch, hear how one of the Arctic’s most valuable fisheries—cod—is being impacted by the politics of Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as changing fish migration patterns due to climate change. Host Ruxandra Guidi heads to northern Norway to meet with the fishers and processors caught the middle. Follow and listen to The Catch wherever you get your podcasts.

Part 1: In Cod We Trust

Host Ruxandra Guidi heads to northern Norway to get a firsthand look at one of the country’s top fisheries: cod. Joined by northern Norway native and co-reporter Eskild Johansen, Guidi hears from local fishermen and stakeholders in the port city of Kirkenes, as it closes port access to Russian fishing trawlers. And we hear from policy experts on a decades-old cooperation agreement between Russia and Norway as it’s being tested like never before.

Part 2: Cod of War

On this episode of The Catch, we kick off our program with a British staple: fish and chips. We then hear how this iconic dish led to an interstate dispute between Iceland and the U.K. known as the Cod Wars. Host Ruxandra Guidi is joined by historian and Icelandic President Gudni Th. Johannesson, and Mark Kurlansky, the author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, to hear how the Cod Wars have shaped our oceans to this day.

Part 3: Make the North Great Again

On this episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi and co-reporter Eskild Johansen hear firsthand how northern Norway’s oldest fishing communities have dealt with cod fishery collapses in the past. These communities weren’t the only ones facing “cod crashes.” Fisheries supply chain expert Jim Cannon then joins Guidi to share how he worked directly with business partners and stakeholders in the ‘80s and early ‘90s to improve sourcing and save cod fisheries from further collapse.

Part 4: Of Cod & Country

On this episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi and co-reporter Eskild Johansen hear how the economics of fishing shape Norway’s identity—and vice versa. The two explore the impact of fish farms and visit places where the burgeoning industry has been welcomed, and others where it’s been shunned. The episode also features insight from Norwegian aquaculture researcher Irja Vormedal.

Part 5: Holding the Line

Making sure that fish stocks are healthy—and that fishers can keep on making a living—is no simple task. On this episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi and co-reporter Eskild Johansen hear from local fishermen on how they have to be just as aware of political winds as they do bad weather. And then Guidi hears from Sergey Sennikov, Norebo’s chief sustainability officer, and Konstantin Drevetnyak, the head of the Russian Union of Northern Fishermen, on how they work to meet the demands of the Russian-Norway cod fishery agreement.

Part 6: Cod Almighty

For our final episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi and co-reporter Eskild Johansen head to the island of Svalbard to see firsthand how geopolitical tensions between Russia and Norway are playing out. Guidi is then joined by former U.S. diplomat Evan Bloom to hear how diplomacy and cooperation have shaped the Arctic region.

Bonus Episode: Preventing Fisheries Conflict Around the World

Over half of the world’s fish populations are likely to move from their historic habitats by the end of the century. Pushed by rising temperatures and changing ocean cycles, these migrating fish stocks could be the cause for our next international conflict. Between the end of WWII and the collapse of the Soviet Union, a quarter of the world’s conflicts were tied to fisheries. And experts expect this number to rise as fishing grounds shift, reliance on the oceans for food increase, and maritime borders move with sea level change. What can be done to prevent this next global conflict? Foreign Policy teamed up with the Walton Family Foundation for a live podcast taping at COP28. PANELISTS: Manuel Barange, Assistant Director General and Director Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Sarah Glaser, Senior Director, Oceans Futures, World Wildlife Fund Rashid Sumaila, University Killam Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Fisheries Economic Research Institute, OceanCanada Partnership, The University of British Columbia Dr. Manumatavai Tupou-Rosen, Director General, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency MODERATOR: Rebecca Hubbard, Director, High Seas Alliance

Season 2

Episode 1

Coming Soon: Season 2 of The Catch

Season 2 of The Catch launches on March 21.

Episode 2

Part 1: The Aquarium of the World

An ecological wonder is under threat due to illegal gillnet fishing.

Episode 3

Part 2: A Complex Web

Learn how demand for totoaba and blue shrimp led to a dire situation for the vaquita porpoise.

Episode 4

Part 3: The Embargo

Hear about efforts to cut down on gillnets in the Upper Gulf and save the vaquita.

Episode 5

Part 4: The Cartel of the Sea

And how the weak response from the Mexican government is impacting local fishers.

Episode 6

Part 5: Pressure Points

Learn what importers and consumers can do to improve sustainability.

Episode 7

Part 6: The Future

How fishers are working toward more sustainable practices.

Listen to Season 1

Coming Soon: Season 2 of The Catch

Coming up on this season of The Catch, we head to the Upper Gulf of California to see what a porpoise, a fish whose bladder fetches tens of thousands of dollars on the black market, and the highly desirable—and delicious—colossal shrimp tell us about the complicated world of fishing. This spring, Foreign Policy is partnering with the Walton Family Foundation for Season 2 of The Catch, hosted by Ruxandra Guidi. We’ll hear how local fishermen are caught between providing for their families and protecting marine habitats. And how governments, importers, and consumers all have a role in returning balance to the Upper Gulf of California. Follow and listen to The Catch in Spanish and English wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen to The Catch in Spanish here.

Part 1: The Aquarium of the World

In Part 1 of our new season of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi along with co-reporter Ernesto Méndez and marine biologist Alex Olivera travel to the Upper Gulf of California to meet with local experts and shrimp fishers. The underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau once deemed this area “The Aquarium of the World” because it was so rich in biodiversity. But unfortunately much of this ecological wonder is under threat due to illegal gillnet fishing. At the center of everything is a small porpoise called the vaquita, whose numbers have dwindled to less than a dozen. In this episode, Guidi speaks to local fishers and hears from environmentalist Rick Brusca as well as former NOAA Fisheries official Barbara Taylor. They discuss how the highly desirable blue shrimp endemic to the Gulf of California has been tied up in conservation efforts to protect the vaquita. Listen to The Catch in Spanish here.

Part 2: A Complex Web

On today’s episode, we look into what led to the dire situation faced by the vaquita and the fishing communities in the Upper Gulf of California. Host Ruxandra Guidi and her travel companions learn more about the history of fishing in the area and how demand for high-value seafood such as the totoaba and blue shrimp led to a dire situation for the vaquita porpoise. In this episode, Guidi speaks to Carlos Tirado, a champion of sustainable fishing in the Upper Gulf. He’s also the leader of an independent regional federation of small-scale fishers. Later, she heads out on the water with Captain Naya to explore an area where scientists had hoped to study and protect vaquita in captivity. Listen to The Catch in Spanish here.

Part 3: The Embargo

On today’s episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi continues her exploration of the Upper Gulf of California to learn more about what can be done to stop illegal gillnet fishing. We hear from Zak Smith, a senior attorney and the director of global biodiversity conservation at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He led an effort to force a U.S. embargo on seafood from the area. Guidi then reports on the efforts made by the NRDC and others to compel Mexico to follow its own laws to protect the vaquita. She and her travel companions venture out on a boat to see firsthand whether or not tighter restrictions have impacted local fishers and the market for the highly desirable blue shrimp.

Part 4: The Cartel of the Sea

In today’s episode, host Ruxandra Guidi looks at the conditions in the upper Gulf of California that have allowed Mexican cartels to embed themselves into nearly all aspects of the fishing industry. She investigates the weak response from the Mexican government in rooting out the cartels and tries to learn what, if anything, can be done about all this. This episode features conversations with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Carlos Tirado, a local fishers leader who runs a large artisanal shrimp fishing operation and is an advocate for sustainable fishing.

Part 5: Pressure Points

In this episode, host Ruxandra Guidi follows the market for Mexican blue shrimp up the supply chain to see what pressure importers and consumers can have on ensuring the shrimp is not caught illegally. She'll hear from sustainable importers and packagers and talk about how they are trying to implement different practices, as well as the limitations they face. She'll also hear how pressure from international markets such as the United States could force the Mexican government to implement meaningful change to how the Gulf of California is fished.

Part 6: The Future

Host Ruxandra Guidi concludes this season with a look at the state of fishing in the Upper Gulf of California. She meets with members of Pesca ABC, an organization of fishers who are trying to implement sustainable fishing practices. She also shares some good news about the vaquita porpoise and the efforts to protect its habitat.

Season 1

Episode 1

Part 1: Out to Sea

The race to catch squid off the coast of Peru is increasingly pitting local artisanal fishers against huge multinational fleets.

Episode 2

Part 2: Pota in Paita

From local markets to a processing plant, our team heads to one of the most important squid fisheries in the world: Paita, Peru.

Episode 3

Part 3: Who’s in Charge?

Tracing the journey of squid—a $500 million industry in Peru—hundreds of miles from home isn’t as simple as it seems.

Episode 4

Part 4: The High Seas

What’s being done to curb illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.

Episode 5

Part 5: Game-Changing Diplomacy

The diplomats who are working to protect our oceans.

Episode 6

Part 6: The Fate of Fishing

How consumers should think about their seafood.

Part 1: Out to Sea

Host Ruxandra Guidi, along with her Lima-based reporting partner Simeon Tegel (@SimeonTegel), travel to Paita, Peru, to get a firsthand look at one of the country’s top fisheries: squid. We begin with Lima-based reporter Dan Collyns (@yachay_dc) as he joins the Peruvian Coast Guard as it patrols Peru’s waters and works to prevent illegal fishing. We hear from local fishermen Eduardo Garcia, Javier Chiroque, and Atias Aguilar on what it’s like to be out at sea day-in and day-out. And finally, we then hear from Edwin Houghton, president of the Paita Fishing Boat Owners’ Association, on why the Peruvian government should do more to help these fishermen.

Part 2: Pota in Paita

On this week’s episode of The Catch, we continue to follow squid, or pota, as it’s known locally. We hear from local fisherman Armando Chinchay on how artisanal fishers are faring against larger industrial fleets. Then we head to two processing plants to speak with Gerardo Carrera of Produmar and Hector Olaya of Fisholg & Sons about how squid has changed the local and national economy. And finally, we speak with Juan Carlos Sueiro, the fisheries director at Oceana, about the state of squid in Peru.

Part 3: Who’s in Charge?

In Part III of our series, host Ruxandra Guidi and reporter Simeon Tegel return to Lima, Peru, to hear from officials and NGOs on how sustainability could be improved. Voices in this episode include Cpt. Jesus Menacho of the Peruvian Coast Guard and Alfonso Miranda, the president of Calamasur. They speak to Carlos Martín Salazar at the Instituto del Mar del Perú about ways to improve sustainability with data. And finally, they hear from Patricia Majluf, a well-known conservationist and senior scientist at Oceana, who dared to take on the fishing industry and rein in overfishing as a former Peruvian vice minister of fisheries.

Part 4: The High Seas

In Part IV of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi examines the international efforts to curb illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. She hears from Peter Hammarstedt, a captain with the conservation organization Sea Shepherd, as well as Dyhia Belhabib, a principal investigator at Ecotrust Canada and an executive director at Nautical Crime Investigation Services. The two discuss the ways in which NGOs are assisting law enforcement to root out bad actors and what can be done to better monitor international waters.

Part 5: Game-Changing Diplomacy

This year, the future of squid and the oceans in general is being determined by a relatively small group of diplomats and representatives who are working on new agreements to regulate the laws of the oceans. With new incentives to curb fishing subsidies, new marine protected areas, and new laws for the high seas, collectively these agreements could have a major impact on the health of the Earth’s oceans and the viability of all fishing stocks. Today on The Catch we go behind the scenes—first to the United Nations, where we meet up with Lisa Speer from the Natural Resources Defense Council and learn about the work she’s doing to help shape U.N. negotiations over a new treaty governing the high seas. Next we hear from Matt Rand, an oceans expert with the Pew Charitable Trusts, on what it takes to get various sides to come together to create and expand marine protected areas. Finally, host Ruxandra Guidi speaks with Rashid Sumaila, a fisheries economist, and the World Trade Organization’s Santiago Wills about a new agreement on subsidies that’s been decades in the making.

Part 6: The Fate of Fishing

In the final installment of our series we hear from two U.S. congressmen—Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, and Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican—who are working to curb illegal fishing practices. We learn about the ways individual countries such as Japan and China are adapting their laws to hold industrial fishers more accountable. Finally, chef and food advocate Barton Seaver talks about his quest to teach others how to think and eat more conscientiously.

Select awards for The Catch

  • 2023 Signal Award; Gold; Documentary
  • 2022 Anthem Award; Bronze; Sustainability, Environment & Climate

 

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