Finding Local Seafood during COVID-19

The Monterey Bay is blessed with a year-round, abundant food supply. From farmers to fishermen, we have access to some of the freshest, most nutritious food available. The COVID-19 pandemic is showing us how essential our local food producers are in a time of crisis. Since most seafood is consumed through restaurants, local fish businesses are facing a challenging time. Now more than ever, it’s important to support our local fishermen and women who can keep us fed in uncertain times. Local community supported fisheries, fish stands at farmers’ markets, restaurants with takeout, and grocery stores selling local fish are not only a healthy choice during this time, but also keep our seafood industry, vital to the economy and culture of our area, afloat. 

Where can you find local seafood? 

The Monterey Bay region has three community supported fisheries (CSF) that are shipping and making deliveries. Real Good Fish, operating out of Moss Landing, is sending out regular weekly and bi-weekly shares of fresh local seafood to pick-up sites throughout California. As well, they’ve recently launched a home delivery service of local fresh fish, chicken, beef, pork and lamb direct from California fishers and farmers. These are shipped throughout California and six other western states. 

Ocean2Table, operating out of Santa Cruz, traditionally had “fresh fish” alerts the public could sign up for.  When fish would come in, they would send out a message and those who wanted could get a delivery or pick up in Santa Cruz. When the shelter-in-place order happened, they were able to quickly pivot into a home delivery service and partner with local farms to create O2T Fish & Farm Box as a subscription, with local wild specialties like chanterelles and halibut, and farmed staples like Fogline Farm chickens and eggs, along with produce, coffee, and bread. According to Charlie Lambert, co-founder of Ocean2Table, “The seafood supply chain has been severed. Distributors aren’t trucking and shipping the fish away, and we can’t import fish from far distances. There is a silver lining. People are learning to pay attention to this beautiful local fish.”  

H&H Fresh Fish in Santa Cruz using strict safety protocols when selling seafood. © H&H Fresh Fish

While some people are bored during this time, Hans Haveman at H & H Fresh Fish Co., headquartered in the Santa Cruz harbor, is running at full steam. H&H has a weekly or bi-weekly CSF subscription for pick-up or delivery. They are also taking phone-in orders and making curbside deliveries with sanitized bags and a no-touch credit card machine for their Harbor Shop. If you want to find them at local farmers’ markets, look for the long, socially distanced lines. “The first week at the farmers’ markets, people bought so much fish I thought they were hoarding,” he said. “But it’s still going strong. More people are eating at home, and they want to eat well.” 

As seafood is consumed primarily in restaurants, often fueled by tourism, their closures have severely impacted local fishermen and women. To remain open and serve the community, many restaurants are offering takeout and delivery. Poppy Hall in Pacific Grove, for example, is doing takeout dinners, serving a local rock cod dish on Monday nights. According to Executive Chef Phil Wojtowicz, “We buy fresh rockfish straight from the fishermen, Walter and Calder Deyerle. It’s a great underutilized local fish. It’s mild, versatile, and super fresh.” 

If you do make a run to the grocery store, be sure to stop at the fish counter and ask for local fish landed in Monterey Bay ports, or from California fishermen and women. Local seafood distributors that buy directly from local fishermen are delivering fresh, local seafood to grocery stores such as Andronico’s Community Markets, New Leaf Community Markets, and Safeway. 

“While COVID-19 has been devastating, it has also created an opportunity to rebuild our seafood supply chain from cheap and predictable imports to fresh, local, and sustainable catch,” said Sherry Flumerfelt, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust. “Let’s take advantage of this opportunity now to connect with food harvested and grown close to home, both to feed our families, and to support our local economy.”

The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust has created a Local Catch Guide to make it easy to find local seafood. We’re also partnering with the fishing community on a summer campaign to build excitement around King salmon and other seasonal fish. Follow our campaign at #MontereyBaySeafood and get to know our local fishing families, find out where you can buy fresh fish off the boat, learn about how to process and cook local seafood, and more!