Captain Ken Maff was born in Perth, Australia, and has been at sea since he was twelve. He is a qualified Marine Biologist with extensive experience in commercial aquaculture, fishing, diving, and marine engineering. In the summer of 1998, he joined the yachting industry in the Mediterranean and quickly progressed his way up the ranks from deckhand to Captain with a Master 3000-ton license in 2001. His extensive international yachting experience of large tonnage super yachts includes private and charter vessels with over 25 years of experience and more than 250 000 miles across the world’s oceans.
Captain Ken is also an environmental technologist advocating for the marine environment, having been involved in many research expeditions. He has leveraged an extensive network of highly respected marine scientists interested in marine research, restoration, and exploration. His other skill sets include engineering, new build yacht design with advanced CAD, and 3D concept skills for rapid design and prototyping using Rhino and 3D printing.
In 2018 he founded Sea Life Rescue, a nonprofit providing nature-based solutions to reducing humanity’s impact on the ecosystems and rejuvenation the marine environment. In 2022 Sea Life Rescue was nominated for Prince William and Sir David Attenborough Earth Shot prize, and Captain Ken was invited as a guest keynote speaker at TEDx Miami – “Fish sex is a tricky business” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7HHnSG49Wk&t=291s
If you don’t know, Sex in the ocean is a tricky business. Fish have evolved to release millions upon billions of sperm and eggs because the ocean is such a gigantic place. The reality is only an infinitesimally small number are fertilized, and an even smaller number of Fish reach maturity. Captain Kens has the solution to replenish the oceans, rejuvenate and save endangered fish populations from extinction.
Industrialized fishing has depleted many species beyond the point of sustainable harvest and natural recovery. The IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature reported RED list of threatened species has declined by 50% since 1970. If we humans continue to treat the ocean as an endless supply, we will soon live in a fishless world. We need to start thinking of managing the ocean’s resources like we plant trees after harvesting forests.
Commercial aquaculture successfully produces huge numbers of Fish for human consumption by breeding them in small tanks, dramatically amplifying fertilization rates so that every viable egg gets fertilized, and the result is hundreds of thousands of fish survive per million eggs released as opposed to one or two in nature.
Sea Life Rescue uses this same aquaculture technology, making it modular, containerized, and transportable, allowing it to be moved aboard repurposed ships from the oil and gas industry. Transporting this equipment to the remote areas where Fish naturally breed, using the same water, in the exact location, and using the same genetic stock to increase natural Fish SEX
This way, we can meet endangered fish species where they are when they are ready to breed, rapidly increasing natural populations, rejuvenating ecosystems, improving water quality, and helping ensure food sustainability for the world.
Captain Ken’s mission is to make people aware of the problem and that we have the solution. If we are to save our oceans, we must act now before it is too late. When Captain Ken is not freelancing in yachting, he speaks at community events and looks forward to spreading this message to as many people as possible. In his spare time, Captain Ken is tinkering with the latest technology and gadgets, 3D printers, flying drones, photography, diving, fishing, mountain bike riding, or enjoying a good movie.
