About the Author
From saving the whales of the Antarctic to studying the salmon of Alaska, Casson Trenor has worked to support stewardship of our marine resources across the globe. Trenor has stalked the fetid warehouses of Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, spent two months journeying by ship through the icy waters of Antarctica, berthed on leaking wrecks off the African coast, and gone octopus fishing with holy men on the Island of Yap. In hundreds of conversations with fishermen around the world, he has heard one statement repeated time and time again:
“The fish are gone.”
These four words led Trenor to realize that the oceans are in dire need of our help.
Trenor is the author of Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving the Oceans One Bite at a Time, a pocket guide designed to enable consumers concerned about environmental and health issues to dine with confidence at the sushi bar. In addition, Trenor writes articles for numerous other websites and publications, such as his monthly For the Oceans column at alternet.org.
In an effort to bring sustainable sushi out of the conceptual realm and into the Amerian foodscape, Trenor founded the world’s first sustainable sushi restaurant, San Francisco’s Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar, in February 2008. He has also converted two “conventional” sushi bars – Seattle’s Mashiko and Miya’s in New Haven, CT – into sustainable sushi operations. In October 2010, Trenor opened Tataki South, a new venture that expands the concept of sustainable sushi as a fine dining experience; and in May 2011, Trenor co-founded Ki, the world’s first sustainability-themed izakaya. This venture allowed Trenor the opportunity to transcend traditional sushi establishments and to champion sustainability and environmental responsibility within the nightlife industry.
Trenor holds the position of Senior Markets Campaigner with Greenpeace USA, where he spearheads the organization’s efforts to hold restaurants and supermarkets accountable for their seafood sustainability practices and to help educate the public about the global fisheries crisis. He is a frequent commentator on sustainable seafood issues and has been featured in regional, national, and international media outlets, including CNN, NPR, Forbes, New York Times, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Tampa Tribune, UTNE Reader, Hemispheres, Tokyo Weekender, Kochi Shimbun, and Edible San Francisco.
Documentarist Mark Hall’s 2011 award-winning film Sushi: The Global Catch focuses extensively on Trenor, glowingly showcasing his work within the sustainable sushi movement. Trenor is also a main character in Peter Heller’s book, The Whale Warriors – a factual account of the exploits of one small, rusty ship determined to take on the entire Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean in 2005-2006.
In October 2009, Trenor was awarded the title “Hero of the Environment” by TIME Magazine, and in August 2010, Trenor received a Congressional Commendation and the “Ocean Protection Hero” award from the well-respected environmental organization Save Our Shores.
Born in Washington State and living in San Francisco, Trenor speaks five languages, has traveled to over fifty countries, and holds an MA in International Environmental Policy from the prestigious Monterey Institute of International Studies.
