Winter has arrived, bringing a rhythm of heavy rains interspersed with calm, sunny days. Whales continue their majestic visits to the bay, while fishermen, facing uncertain times, ponder their futures.
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It’s a warm, sunny morning in Santa Cruz. I can smell the crisp, salty smell of the ocean mixed with eucalyptus. It’s warm, a stretch of days in late August reminding me why this is my favorite time of year. The kids are back in school, the crowds are few, and every visit to the bay is like a nature show.
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As we move toward the milestone of our 10-year Anniversary in September, I’m reflecting on the early days of the Trust and how we came to be…
In 2013, the City of Monterey approved its first Fishing Community Sustainability Plan, and one of its key recommendations was to establish a Community Quota Fund (CQF). A CQF is an entity that holds fishing rights in ‘trust’ for the benefit of the community.
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Hopefully you read last month’s newsletter article about deep sea coral research and restoration efforts by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), which involved a request by the National Marine Sanctuary Program to prohibit bottom contact fishing gear in three areas currently used for targeting blackcod and other groundfish. This regulation was needed, they said, in order to conduct valuable deep-sea coral research and monitoring in the MBNMS.
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One of the most powerful ideas I have ever known is this: the best way to predict the future is to create it.
Guided by the northstar of our 2024-28 Strategic Plan, we developed a new 2-year Initiative, “Food from the Sea: Developing a Shared Vision for Monterey Bay Ocean-Based Food Systems”. In partnership with Regenerative California, Real Good Fish, the University of California Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology, the City of Monterey, and the Moss Landing Harbor District, we submitted a funding proposal to the USDA’s Regional Food System Partnership program to lead a community-based process that will result in a shared 10-year vision for a resilient and regenerative ocean-based food economy in the Monterey Bay region.
Why local seafood is hard to find…
The most common question we get asked is “Where can I get local seafood?” You’d think that would be as easy as searching online, going down to the harbor, or to your local fish market. Especially living on the Monterey Bay, where fishing has been part of our culture for centuries, why isn’t it more obvious where to find and buy fresh, local seafood?
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March saw a whirlwind of action leading to positive outcomes for the Monterey Bay region’s beleaguered fishing community. Here’s a run down of the action…
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I probably sound like a broken record talking about the challenges our fishing industry is facing on the California coast. But since our mission depends on a viable fishing community, I can’t help but try to put into perspective what this latest closure of the nearshore fishery means for our local fleet.
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Of all our key accomplishments over the last year, I am the most proud of our new 5-yr Strategic Plan. In just 10 pages, we lay out our history, how the fisheries and oceanscape are changing and what we can do about it, the necessary partnerships and levers, and a roadmap for how to get there.
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Just like waves on the beach…the last year recedes, and another year rolls in.
The start of a new year beckons hope, yet with all that’s going on, this year also invites worry. Multiple wars, climate disruption, and political strife are affecting us globally. Closer to home, our fisheries are facing a calamity of closures, threats, delays, and nearly a total loss of ‘on the water’ income. An industry that was once thriving is now in dire straits, threatening our food security, heritage, and community fabric.
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December is a moment where I like to slow down to reflect on where we’ve been this year, and how to prepare for the new year that’s just around the corner. As I shared at our recent community celebration event, 2023 was a year of rebuilding our capacity and structures, while also maintaining programs, tracking fishery challenges and promoting educational opportunities.
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In late September, I had the honor of being a moderator for the Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) workshop held here in Santa Cruz. MREP originated out of the New England region in the 1990s when a group of fishermen got together and created a program to educate themselves and other fishermen about how the science and management process works. The program, now run by Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), has expanded to all regions and is the most effective way for any fisherman to quickly get up to speed in order to advocate effectively as a co-manager of fisheries.
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I was struck by a statement from a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the status of California’s commercial fisheries.
Author Tara Duggan stated “California’s $200 million commercial fishing industry could become the state’s first big casualty of climate change, along with related businesses like charter boat companies and fish processors.”
This made my heart sink.
I know it’s really tough right now in the fishing industry, but the word “casualty” takes it to a whole new level. Is fishing as a community based, intergenerational and independent industry going away on our watch?
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It’s now deep summer in Monterey Bay. This is one of the best times of year, when the beaches and roads are less crowded, the days are clear and warm, and the bite of offshore tuna and coastal white seabass energizes many in the fleet. (Photo by @minkmingle, unsplash.com)
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It’s hard to believe, but it’s been one year since I took over as the Director of the Trust!
As I look back on what unfolded over the last year, I’m both exhilarated and humbled by the learning journey. I am learning what it takes to run an organization smoothly AND achieve the intended impact. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I’m appreciative that in this year of transition we kept ‘the ship’ moving ahead.
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I heard the term ‘mailbox fisherman’ recently, in reference to the 2023 salmon closure that will keep fishermen off the water this year and looking to their mailboxes instead for payment from the government.
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Happy Spring! The seasons are finally turning, and this is the time of year when the wind picks up over the bay. It was fitting then that we got to hear a presentation from Mike Conroy of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) about the powerful movement to establish wind energy farms off California.
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March was a month of big decisions, both for us and for our local fishing community.
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