The trendiest addition to a seafood restaurant isn’t a coveted oyster or a sought-after filet; it’s the words “sustainable” and “local” printed at the bottom of menus and on “about” pages on websites. More and more chefs in Santa Cruz County, particularly at higher-end restaurants, are choosing to focus on seafood menus that are considered environmentally friendly, motivated by a desire to use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients and a sense of ocean stewardship, they say.
Read MoreThe US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed closing fishing grounds off California's central coast to allow federal scientists to research and restore coral reefs west of Monterey Bay. [...]
Read MoreKatie Rodriguez here. I recently spoke with the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust to learn all about their Community Seafood Program. Simply put, it’s a program that plays a powerful role as the middle-man that both helps sustain fishermen and local fisheries, as well as get delicious seafood to lower income folks across Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
According to the 2022 Monterey County Community Health Needs Assessment, over 40% of people living in the county were determined to be food insecure.
Read MoreFor generations, Monterey Bay’s identity was inseparable from fishing. It was a backbone of the local economy, particularly in the City of Monterey, where it inspired one of John Steinbeck’s most famous novels, Cannery Row. But fishing practices were often unsustainable, and sardine and abalone populations plummeted.
Read MoreThough one of its most famous attractions is Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco and the Bay Area’s thriving fishing industry is not what it once was. A shortened season for Dungeness crab, a canceled salmon season (the second cancellation in a row), and climate change are taking a toll on fisheries. We talk to people who make their living catching and selling fish and hear how they are surviving and adapting to this new reality.
Read MoreMonterey Bay Fisheries Trust Executive Director, Melissa Mahoney, was recently interviewed on KSQD "Talk of the Bay" with Christine Barrington. You can listen to the 25-minute conversation here, where they discuss the Community Seafood Program, and the Trust's mission to protect and sustain our fisheries.
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