Monterey Bay fishing community to provide fresh seafood to local families in need

Walter Deyerle of Sea Harvest delivering 700 pounds of donated black cod to Ashley Bridges, Director of Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, Nov. 25, 2020. Photo courtesy of Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes.

Press Release
November 30, 2020

Downloadable PDF of Press Release

Monterey, CA — The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust is connecting local fishermen and seafood businesses with members of the community in need of food assistance through the creation of the Monterey Bay Community Seafood Program. Seven small-scale seafood buyers will donate local catch to food assistance programs that support working families, seniors, and other community members in need.

The program comes amidst the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Food Bank for Monterey County, demand for food has quadrupled this year, with expectations that it will get worse before it gets better. At the same time, restaurant closures and market disruptions have severely impacted local fishing businesses.

“This program is a win-win, providing nutritious, local seafood to families in need, while also supporting our local economy,” says Sherry Flumerfelt, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust. “It’s another great example of how our community comes together to provide help to those that need it.”

The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust is leveraging a $50,000 grant from the organization Catch Together, a program of Multiplier to pilot the Monterey Bay Community Seafood Program. Seafood buyers receive funds to purchase fish from local fishermen and then donate the catch to local food assistance programs. The program will support dozens of fishermen and seafood workers while providing meals of sustainably harvested rockfish, California halibut, sablefish, and grenadier to thousands of families in the region.

Partnering seafood buyers include: Sea Harvest, Ocean2Table, Real Good Fish, H&H Fresh Fish, Fisherman’s Choice, Robbie's Ocean Fresh Seafood, and Bay Fresh Seafood. 

Partnering emergency food relief programs include Food bank for Monterey County, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, Meal on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, and Al and Friends. The Trust will also be partnering with the City of Seaside and Monterey County on the state of California’s Great Plates Delivered program aimed at helping seniors and other adults at risk of COVID-19 while providing essential economic stimulus to local food businesses. Partnering restaurants include Angelina’s Bakery and Googie Grill in Seaside; Coastal Cuisine & Catering in Monterey; Stevie’s Family Restaurant in Prunedale; Monterey Coast Brewing, Main Street Bakery & Catering, Pasta Mia and Norma’s Family Restaurant in Salinas; and Mezzaluna Pasteria in Pacific Grove.

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The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust (MBFT) is a nonprofit working to ensure that Monterey Bay’s coastal communities benefit from active, working waterfronts and local, sustainable seafood for generations to come. To learn more about MBFT, visit https://montereybayfisheriestrust.org/.