COVID-19: Support our community and stay healthy through this crisis

It’s a strange time for all of us, as we adjust to the new normal (social distancing, homeschooling, uncertainty). Never before has the expression “we’re all in this together” felt so real. At the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, we are working to understand the impacts this crisis is having on our community, and the changes we must make as an organization. As COVID-19 shuts down seafood businesses and restaurants and disrupts supply chains, this has crystallized the importance of food security and local seafood. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating, it presents us with an opportunity to change our eating habits from cheap and predictable imports to fresh, local, and sustainable. This is not only a healthier, safer, and more environmentally-friendly option, but it also supports our local economy–something especially important at this time.

In Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, food providers are classified as an “essential service” during the shelter-in-place orders, and several local farmers’ markets remain open. Many businesses are working on getting fresh local seafood safely to our families­, and our fishing community could really use our consumer dollars right now. We have pulled together a list of businesses that continue to provide fresh seafood during this crisis. We plan to update this page regularly as the situation changes.

We are also strategizing other ways to support the local seafood economy, and working with fishing community organizers across the country to share concerns, ideas, and methods for adapting to this new reality. We will keep you posted as things evolve.

Until then, stay safe and be well.