Catch Of The Day

7hectares Is the Kind of Farm Kiko Torno Needed to Create. At a Time When Overfishing Is Threatening the World’s Waters, It’s Also the Kind of Sustainability the Philippines Sorely Needed to See
 

- Eric Nicole Salta

On a rainy June night, sea bass, snails, and soft-shell crabs all star in a collection where the taste does the talking. Kiko Torno, whose wispy silver locks conceal his rich, masterful understanding of sustainable aquaculture, looks a little nervous even if he’s done this several times before.

A sip of Aperitivo Loka and Prosecco concocted by mixologist Mikey Presa, however, is all it takes for Torno to muster the courage and transform the intimate Pond-to-Plate gathering at Grace Park Restaurant into an artistic common ground with his acute, battle scarred philosophies. Responding to the public’s incomprehension of sustainable aquaculture’s viability and positive effects on the environment, Torno’s monologue comes with a composed ferocity that refuses to surrender his place in the industry.

“Unfortunately it’s the upper class that appreciates [sustainable seafood] because it comes with cost. That’s why I’m doing the modicums to educate how Filipinos should enjoy the natural taste. Having Grace Park, Hey Handsome, and Antonio’s Restaurants as clients showed me the scarcity of the supply.”

These educational seafood soirees are where he channels his advocacies of awareness to a small but empowered community. That same night, Margarita Forés, a longtime believer of Torno’s “seafood purveyor” status, stood beside him as he addressed the waitstaff hours before the selected guests, including a couple from one of the most exclusive resorts in the country, arrived. One can get sucked in by Torno’s character piece as he mobilizes all his resources to buck those that deny or fail to understand the future of aquaculture, but his narrative is made even more relevant by a percolating displeasure at injustice.