Less common in stores and fish markets, Rock Crabs are often ignored in favor of Dungeness crabs, but they are plentiful and delicious. With wide, thick shells, a brick-red color and black-tipped claws, these crustaceans make fantastic table fare (but look out for their painful pinch - they don’t let go!).

For the fifth consecutive year, the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust is partnering with the fishing community and local harbors to find and remove lost Dungeness crab gear from Monterey Bay through the Lost Gear Recovery program.

In partnership with California FarmLink (CFL), we recently released the California Small Fisheries Business Technical Assistance (TA) Toolkit. This document provides a foundation for how fisheries lenders can structure and offer TA services for fisheries businesses and potential borrowers.

We’re pleased to release the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust 2020 Impact Report. It goes without saying, the COVID-19 crisis dramatically impacted just about everyone, including our community members who harvest, process, prepare, and distribute seafood. We’re proud of the Monterey Bay fishing community for its resolve and creativity to deal with unprecedented times.

A trawl is a method of net fishing where a funnel-shaped net (much like a windsock) is towed behind the boat to capture fish. There are bottom trawls, which primarily target groundfish that live on or near the seafloor, and mid-water trawls (also known as pelagic trawls) that target fish in the mid-and surface water column like Pacific Whiting.

Longlines in the Monterey Bay are used to catch fish that live near the ocean floor with hundreds of baited hooks set and left to soak from just a few hours to a whole day. Species harvested with this method include sablefish, rockfish, lingcod, flounders, and soles.

Contrary to popular belief, fishermen harvest much more than crab using pots and traps. While heavy Dungeness crab pots are the trap gear known most to those outside of the commercial fishing industry, plenty of fish are brought aboard with this gear type. These include sablefish, spot prawns, nearshore rockfish, and hagfish (aka slime eels).

The large sardine boats of yesteryear, which made Monterey’s Cannery Row famous, used purse seines. This fishing method is still a big player in Monterey Bay fisheries today and is used to harvest squid, sardines and anchovies.

If you see boats lighting up Monterey Bay at night, it’s likely squid vessels at work. Market squid is one of the most important fisheries in Monterey Bay. These sustainably harvested and versatile cephalopods are great battered and fried, grilled, sautéed, simmered in a marinara sauce, or cooked on top of bomba rice for paella.

The new Netflix documentary, #Seaspiracy, has been making waves. Unfortunately, it oversimplifies a highly complex topic to the detriment of the many seafood harvesters, businesses, and food workers who participate in sustainable fisheries, and the communities that depend on these healthy proteins.

In its most basic sense, trolling is the method of drawing lines with baited hooks or lures behind a boat for fish to bite. While this sounds simple, it’s far from it. All commercially harvested king salmon in California are caught by trollers, as are most albacore tuna.

The Pacific Sanddab is a species of flatfish, light brown in color with occasional white or orange spots. Their flesh is mild and sweet, excellent when pan-fried, broiled or baked.

Hey Monterey Bay fishermen, get involved with our Lost Gear Recovery Program! Partnering fishermen and women find and remove lost crab gear from the bay to reduce the risk of entanglements with marine life while highlighting environmental stewardship.

With the arrival of the F/V Queen Corinne in Moss Landing, we are hopeful that we’ll start to see less imported seafood in our supermarkets and more local, sustainable Dover sole, Petrale sole, rockfish, and more.

Getting the most out of the local catch can sometimes mean going beyond boned, skinned, and pre-portioned sections. Here are the essential kitchen tools you need to take your seafood game to the next level, whether you’re buying from a local dock sale, a CSF, or a seafood counter.

Pacific Dover sole carry a tasty mild, yet sweet, flavor and a firm, slightly flakey texture when cooked. They’re versatile, affordable, and abundant in the Monterey Bay and greater West Coast.

Seafood doesn’t have to be intimidating, involve detailed recipes, or long preparation times. It’s a versatile, healthy protein that cooks quickly, and is flavorful and delicate on its own without too many other ingredients. These simple preparations allow you to enjoy seafood in its purest form, any day of the week.

As with any local favorite steeped in regional culinary tradition, people have a lot to say on how they like their Dungeness crab. Here a few of the most classic ways to enjoy Dungeness crab. But we want to hear your stories and recipes! We’ll share your posts across our social media platforms.

The first line of this National Fisherman story on Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust board member Bob Dooley says exactly what we know about him: ”People tend to repeat certain words when they talk about Bob Dooley: generous, humble, knowledgeable, smart, nice, friend.”

This Monterey County Weekly story is a few years old, but it describes a Dungeness crab fisherman's routine in vivid detail. Here's an excerpt, but check out the full story by following the link to the Monterey County Weekly.