This month, we’re launching #MontereyBaySeafood - a campaign to help people find local, sustainable seafood. Over the next several months, we’ll be sharing resources, stories and recipes that make it easier for consumers to support fishing families.

Yes, there’s a silver lining out there. The commercial King salmon season starts this Friday, May 1st. Rainfall has been filling the rivers in the Central Valley where young salmon are born, and anchovies, a favorite food for salmon, are plentiful in the Monterey Bay.

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.

We love local fishermen and seafood harvested from the Monterey Bay. Here are five reasons why—from the Monterey Canyon and its ecological abundance,to the rich history and culture of fishing, to the men and women who fish sustainably and help bolster our local economy. 

In California, the return of King salmon is a cause for celebration. They are a sport fisherman’s dream catch, and used to be a solid payday for commercial fishermen. However, California salmon have been in crisis due to droughts and water wars waged over their river habitat. Fortunately, there are groups working in the Monterey region to help salmon populations recover.