Pulitzer Center Update August 27, 2024
Think for Your Supper: SEA Outreach Discusses Species Decline Over ‘Dinner’
Country:
"Pla Tu" (mackerel) is running out, thanks to trawlers.
The misplacement of ‘value,’ warnings over habitat loss, human overconsumption, and our impact on a fast-changing natural world were the focus of “The Vanishing Feast: A Performative Dinner Exploring the Loss of Thai Longtail Tuna."
The event, held on World Ocean Day (June 8), served as a reminder of the pressures that our continued commodification of natural resources is putting on our ecosystems.
At this pace, certainly within a Thai context, there may be little of sustained value left behind for our children…not even a staple fish like Thai mackerel.
Throughout a thought-provoking and immersive performative dinner, we explored the critical issue of the vanishing of Thai longtail tuna (Pla Tu in Thai). Known for its creamy and oily texture, Thais across the income gap love Pla Tu, a species integral to national cuisine and a symbol of a proud culinary heritage in a country synonymous with food.
The event was inspired by the Pulitzer Center-supported story "Thailand’s Favorite Fish Is Vanishing; Our Appetite Is To Blame." In it, reporter Aidan Jones highlighted a crisis in the Pla Tu population which has dramatically declined over 30 years, forcing Thais to import the fish from neighboring countries. Experts say climate change and overfishing are to blame, posing a serious threat to a crucial species in Thailand’s marine ecosystem.
The ‘performance’ curated by Pongpan Suriyapat, an artist and architect who specializes in museum design, centered around a sushi-style conveyor belt, meant to serve as a metaphor for the cycle of “industrialization and commodification of food,” said Pongpan.
“As participants take their seats, they are presented with a menu card, a symbolic representation of the luxurious trappings of fine dining and the excesses of consumerist culture. The seating arrangement itself is a reflection of the inequalities inherent in capitalist systems, with those positioned closest to the serving spot having primary access to the dishes, while those situated further away must wait and potentially forego certain choices,” added Pongpan Suriyapat.
A menu booklet presented to guests informed them on the impact of consuming different aspects of the meal. Design by Chayanit Jitbunjerdkul. 2024.
For the appetizer, snacks were laid out on the belt, including juvenile squid, small fish, and insect chili paste. Taken at face value, these small little creatures probably won’t have any impact on our ecosystem as a whole, but chef Tawjan Catherine Punyasingh, a food expert and designer, wanted to demonstrate that consuming resources before they reach maturity can disrupt the entire ecological flow.
The main course—shrimp paste fried rice with Thai mackerel—further demonstrated Tawjan’s point.
Participants who ate the snack dishes were given the main course without mackerel: a stark representation that the small fish eaten earlier represent the future of the ocean.
Experts say the Thai mackerel represents the health of the entire marine ecosystem, as they are in the middle of the food chain.
“With [smaller species'] disappearance, entire fish populations dwindle, including the highly prized Thai mackerel, now facing near-extinction in its home waters,” said Chayanit Jitbunjerdkul, author of the menu booklet.
“It feels strange to eat shrimp paste fried rice with Pla Tu but without the Pla Tu,” said Win, a content creator whose page is named after Pla Tu, the fish of his home province. “I really feel sad that Thai mackerel could one day become extinct. What are we going to tell the next generations?” asked Win, who was also one of the dinner participants.
This performative dinner was a creative, surprising, and powerful reminder of the importance of considering the future ramifications of our actions.
If there are lessons to be learned from the state of Pla Tu today, they are the inseparable relationship between humans and our environment. Any irreversible damage we inflict upon our nature, may leave nothing behind for our next generations.
Apart from the performative dinner, we also ran a digital campaign raising awareness on the vanishing of the Thai mackerel to mark World Oceans Day. The campaign had more than 30 social media posts that reached and engaged 360,000 users.
It also sparked a meaningful conversation around the issue:
One particular post on X raised awareness of the possibility that “Thai mackerel could be extinct within 20-30 years if there’s no action taken as reported by the Pulitzer Center supported grantee.” It was reposted by 13,000 people and viewed 353,000 times. Participants who commented and reposted expressed frustration with the tough and less flavorful imported mackerel. The reactions also emphasized how crucial and close to Thai people’s life the Thai mackerel issue is, as some people regarded it as a “big problem.”
มึง เรื่องนี้สำคัญมาก ถ้ายังไม่มีการควบคุมการทำประมง ปลาทูไทยอาจหายไปได้ในอีก 20-30 ปี ต้องนำเข้าปลาทูจากประเทศอื่นมากินแทน เอกลักษณ์ของเมืองไทยจะหายไปแล้วนะครับ!!!! pic.twitter.com/zTpiq827P3
— Tarot to youuuu (@TarotYouuuu) June 7, 2024
An organic post by an influencer who reposted from a blogger to whom we sent an engagement tool kit.
Others also commented with their latest experiences on mackerel:
"Nowadays, we only find Indonesian mackerel; Thai mackerel is hard to find."
"It’s currently imported from other countries. The meat is tough and not tasty. I want to eat Thai mackerel. Fresh Thai pla tu is now very hard to find."
“Everyone needs to be aware [of this issue]. I love eating Thai mackerel so much and my dad loves it, too. Please. I don't want to live my life without Thai mackerel on my dinner table.”
Southeast Asia outreach will continue to link Pulitzer Center-supported ocean coverage with those impacted and those influencing public dialogues by engaging content creators, artists, and youth movements. Stay tuned for an artist mini-residency in coastal communities, offering artists a firsthand understanding of the disappearing Pla Tu issue. This engagement aims to spark discussions inspired by the Pulitzer Center-funded reporting.
