Ian Cole and Charlie Lambert, Ocean2Table

Charlie Lambert

Community Supported Fishery (CSF), Fishermen

Originally from Half Moon Bay, Charlie grew up as a recreational fisherman, angling around California from the coast to the Sierras. His passion for fishing and our natural resources extended into his college career at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied Environmental Studies and Biology. After graduating, Charlie went on to work for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as a fisheries biologist. 

Ian Cole is from the Bay area and  attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where he studied Environmental Studies. Following college, Ian worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service as part of the Fish Ecology Team. He also worked as an observer aboard commercial trawl vessels in California.

Ian Cole with a King ‘Chinook’ Salmon.

Having met each other in school, Ian and Charlie began exploring their passion to make fresh, local seafood accessible to their communities. They were frustrated by the amount of imported fish in local restaurants, and the amount of locally caught fish that was being exported. They saw an opportunity to bring local seafood to their community, and In 2013 they launched Ocean2Table, a community supported fishery based out of Santa Cruz.

The goal of Ocean2Table is to deliver fresh fish (within one day of being caught), while also educating the consumer about where their fish is coming from. Ocean2Table prides itself on releasing the catch date of their fish, thereby ensuring the consumer receives the freshest fish possible. They source seasonally from all fisheries throughout Monterey Bay. In an effort to keep the quality of their product high, Charlie and Ian do all their own offloading, processing, and bagging. In doing so, they have developed relationships with the entire fishing community, from the fisherman to the customers. 

One of their favorite aspects of Ocean2Table is getting to interact with their local community. Ocean2Table has already grown substantially since its launch in 2013, with 25 subscribers and 1 pick-up location, to over 4,000 subscribers and 40 pick-up locations. They also just announced that they will be expanding delivery to the greater Monterey area in October 2020. As their CSF continues to grow, Ian and Charlie are excited to share the pillars of Ocean2Table: sustainability, traceability, and a local movement with the community. 

More info at www.getocean2table.com