The Restaurant Guys Save the Fish (So We Can Eat Them) | Beth Lowell, Oceana
This is a Vintage episode from 2005.
Why You Should Listen
- An early, still-relevant look at sustainable seafood
- What “dirty fishing” and bycatch really mean
- Practical advice for diners and restaurateurs
- A snapshot of the 2005 Endangered Species Act debate
The Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott react to a “health study” revealing that water is still king. The Guys spiral into soda culture, marketing myths, and one of the strangest beverage ideas of the era: nicotine beer.
The Conversation
Beth Lowell of Oceana joins The Restaurant Guys to ask the big question: can we keep eating fish the way we do now? She breaks down bycatch, sea turtles, and the hidden cost of industrial fishing — and explains how simple gear changes can reduce harm without shutting fishermen down. The Guys bring a restaurateur’s perspective to overfishing, mercury contamination, and the future of seafood.
The Inside Track
The Guys argue for common-sense conservation: not less seafood — smarter sourcing so there’s still fish worth serving years from now.
Time Stamps
- 3:00 Water vs. soda
- 6:00 Nicotine beer
- 8:00 Beth Lowell joins
- 9:20 Bycatch explained
- 18:09 How Oceana helps
- 25:41 What fish to eat or avoid
- 28:28 Endangered Species Act (2005)
- 34:05 Wrap-up
Guest Bio
Beth Lowell is an Ocean Wildlife Advocate with Oceana, an international organization focused on science-based ocean conservation and sustainable fishing practices.
From the Show
- Oceana – oceana.org
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guides – seafoodwatch.org
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