Michael Fabbro, CEO of US land-based coho salmon farmer LocalCoho, had an epiphany or sorts while he was vice president of North America sales for New Zealand King Salmon.

Fabrro spent nearly 12 years with the Nelson, New Zealand-based salmon farmer, which had grown steadily over that time. But the effects of climate change have hit the company hard in recent years, leading to fish die-offs, lost profit and layoffs.

"I saw the evolution of what climate change could do to marine farming, some of the negative impacts it could have," said LocalCoho CEO Michael Fabbro.