“Our planet is a natural-resource bank account—we need to stop eating away the capital and start living off its interest.” So says Fabien Cousteau, the eldest grandson of the famed Jacques Cousteau and an explorer and environmental advocate in his own right. His love for and fierce protection of the world’s oceans are among the reasons why the International Superyacht Society (ISS) has been working with him for more than a year to establish the newly announced ISS Fabien Cousteau Blue Award. In this Leadership Series interview, Cousteau explains how all of us—megayacht builders, designers, owners, captains and crew, and yacht-watchers—can help make a difference. As he explains, “In our personal and professional realms, we are the decision makers.”
MegayachtNews.com: You grew up in a far more environmentally minded family than most. What was it like being aboard your grandfather’s boats, and what are some of the earliest lessons you learned?
Fabien Cousteau: My grandfather started his carrier of ocean exploration during WWII. He pioneered exploration of the undersea world and brought it for the first time to worldwide audiences who had never seen such a strange and wondrous place. For five decades he and the crew of Calypso (and later Alcyone) brought TV viewers on their extraordinary adventures. It wasn’t until the 1960s (through to the late 1990s) that the topic of environmental impact became part of the shows.
I have been scuba diving since my fourth birthday and regularly on expedition since I was seven. It was a unique opportunity for learning and an opening of eyes and mind to the vastness and complexity of our planet and our relationship with it. At the basis of it all, a lesson I try to practice every day is a fundamental line my grandfather would say: People Protect What They Love. Of course, he was quoted all the time with great philosophical thoughts. Between family as the teachers and the ocean world as a classroom, I did get infused with a fundamental understanding of our place as a species and our role as protectors or destroyers of this oasis in the vast emptiness of space. Scrubbing the barnacles off the hull on Calypso at 7, a teen at the helm of Alcyone during the graveyard shift in an inky dark Pacific crossing with 15-foot swells, diving face to face with animals 100 times larger, watching the life-and-death battle between an octopus and mantis shrimp, drinking massato with headhunters in the Amazon… these and many more are the experiences that broadened my understanding and fascination of our amazing, unique little blue planet.
MegayachtNews.com: You’re passionately involved with many ocean-oriented organizations, and you’ve created ones yourself, like Plant a Fish. Can you describe the goals behind Plant a Fish, and some of the accomplishments?
Fabien Cousteau: I like maximizing positive change. Born with a unique gift, I feel it is paramount that it be used to connect people with the beauty, wonder ,and fragility of ocean planet. Plant A Fish embodies the philosophy I grew up with in a platform that can educate and empower communities worldwide to restore our aquatic “backyard.” From mangroves to corals, from oysters to sea turtles, it’s about connecting people to our “life-support system.” Taking care of and restoring the health of the water world is at least as important as doing so on land.
MegayachtNews.com: It can be said that children are naturally more curious, maybe even more open-minded, than adults, but you have successfully worked with businesses to raise awareness about the oceans’ health. What are some of those initiatives?
Fabien Cousteau: Children, as we know, have no boundaries, no “impossible.” Boundless energy combined with curiosity and creativity lead to a perfect combination of “can do” that makes anything possible. Adults have learned to shackle themselves behind excuses. There are some adult out there who still hold the key to the door of youthful thinking and are willing to go beyond status quo in order to give back what we borrowed from our children. Wkether we are seven or 70, we must all put in our best efforts to ensure a future for generations to come. Mine is a voice for the oceans. As such, I enjoy working with all types of people, communities, organizations, corporations, etc. to help form this coalition for stewardship for the health of our planet and our children. In some cases it may be about finding innovative internal solutions, while in others it may be about getting wet and dirty to restore our aquatic backyard: connecting others with the essential understanding that a healthy ocean is a healthy people.
MegayachtNews.com: What convinced you to work with the International Superyacht Society for the Fabien Cousteau Blue Award?
Fabien Cousteau: The ISS assembles a very special group of people connected with the ocean world. They are amongst the elite and potentially the biggest influencers to ensure a future to the health of our oceans. With this in mind, I thought it important to suggest including an award that not only focuses on the vessel but what surrounds the vessel, the very reason it exists in the first place.
We talk about “green” all the time when referring to our impact on the planet. If we look at this world from space, it is not green, but blue. This liquid that allows all life we know to exists at all should all be the focus. By calling it the “Blue” Award, it re-calibrates our mindset as far as the industry is concerned. Hopefully, the inspiration will permeate well beyond to infuse thought on how we can address ocean impact issues upstream as well.
MegayachtNews.com: This year is the first year that the award will be granted. While it’s difficult to predict the future, do you foresee more companies and yacht owners rising to the challenges of trying to make a difference?
Fabien Cousteau: I certainly hope it sparks deep thought on the importance of our aquatic footprint in the industry and beyond. It took us many years to get into the situation before us, so it is logical to assume it will take us as long to rectify the course we have set.
MegayachtNews.com: What are some simple measures that yacht builders, designers, and owners can take now, to become better stewards of the environment?
Fabien Cousteau: Yacht builders, designers, captains, crew, and owners are, by the very nature of things, on the front lines. They are witness to the impact of an aquatic world they love. In our personal and professional realms, we are the decision makers. Every decision is a vote that steers our impact one way or another. Choice of material, of manufacturing process, of location, of energy, of technology, of transportation, of propulsion, of impact offsetting, etc. are all influencing factors. It’s about progressively making innovative decisions at work and at home that make change happen.
Just off the top of my head: one can integrate a SeaKeepers Society VDARS to the ship’s systems to help monitor the pulse of our ocean health. Include recycling and composting programs on the ship; use effective biodegradable cleaners such as Aussen Naturals; use biofuel, fuel cell, solar technology integrated in propulsion and power systems… the list goes on and on… I dream of someone creating a LEED certification structure for the boating world, wouldn’t that be a neat idea?!
Our ocean planet’s health is at jeopardy. No sugar coating—we are to blame. As vast as the oceans seem they are very fragile. Many beaches and coral reefs I frequented around the world as a child are now almost unrecognizable, devoid of life and littered with plastic pollution and invisible manmade chemicals. Our planet is a natural-resource bank account—we need to stop eating away the capital and start living off its interest. Some of that capital needs to be replenished. One way to do so is by empowering communities to help restore their aquatic backyard. My not-for-profit Plant A Fish is a way I give something back to our future generations. This is a monumental task, and we can use all the help we can muster. Setting big goals makes things happen, and it’s time we dream big for the future of our life-support system.
We must stop living on the planet and start living with the planet in order to give back to our children what we have thus far taken for granted.
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