Salmon smolts do amazing things. Full stop.

Even after 16 years studying salmon and similar species, partly through his role as director of the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project (MBSTP), Ben Harris still marvels at their dramatic feats. 

“As they migrate from freshwater to the ocean, the smolt go through an amazing transformation.Their kidneys change! They go from seeking salt to being able to repel it! Their scales harden!” he says. “It’s a much, much bigger change than human puberty. It’s really quite amazing.”

He’s got a point.

Fact can be crazier than fiction. And that’s the case with a unique challenge facing West Coast fishermen and marine science experts alike. 

That challenge comes to a crossroads with a Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting this month in San Diego, which involves potential new restrictions for reeling local fishermen. 

More on that in a second. First the craziest part.

Fact can be crazier than fiction. And that’s the case with a unique challenge facing West Coast fishermen and marine science experts alike. 

That challenge comes to a crossroads with a Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting this month in San Diego, which involves potential new restrictions for reeling local fishermen. 

More on that in a second. First the craziest part.

The 2024 crab season was many things for area fishermen—a fleeting endeavor, a true lifeline, a preamble for more management decisions. 

Now that it has ended south of the Sonoma-Mendocino county line—as of April 8—it’s a good time to look back at how it went, how current experimental permits keep it going, for some, and how potential regulatory changes will affect its future.

After nearly two decades of bouncing around the US following a career in technology, and then banking, Chaps Poduri and his wife moved to Pacific Grove in 2016 to raise their family and live in the beautiful place they had always enjoyed visiting. Since then, he has become a complete convert to coastal living and has become a very active member in the community, committed to a prosperous and sustainable future. 

While uncertainty is inseparable from fishing, the mystery surrounding the future for West Coast salmon fishermen gives the uncertainty fresh intensity.

That, in turn, comes with complexity. As S.F Bay Area charter fishing boat captain Jared Davis puts it, completing a “fully encompassing dive into the challenges faced by the fishing industry would require an Encyclopedia Britannica-type collection of volumes.”

So let’s start with what we do know, in basic terms and more complicated frameworks, for better or for worse.

And finish with reasons for hope.

***Special April 1 report***

The deep sea presents so many mind-bending creatures—and plenty of surprises—that maybe this shouldn’t be a shock. Still, it’s surprising to learn that one of the most famous and fearsome deep sea residents, the giant squid, is now working with Monterey Bay fishermen to clean up derelict gear.

FISHERMEN - Are you looking for additional local markets to sell your catch directly to the public? If so, check out these opportunities for selling at Farmers Markets!

Describing the complexity of challenges facing local small boat fishermen can be a challenge in itself. 

Local fishermen confront steep costs for permits, spiking diesel fuel and various offloading fees, while navigating Monterey Bay ports short on infrastructure like storage, ice machines and processing facilities. 

Then there’s competitive disadvantages against big boat conglomerates, cheaper imports and aquaculture; threats from offshore wind development; sale prices artificially depressed by big corporate buyers; a target audience often unaware of (or unwilling) to try alternatives to salmon, shrimp and tuna; and the ongoing and intensifying shifts from warming oceans causing shifts in distribution and abundance of key species.

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 was a special day for the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust (MBFT), as it marked the first distribution of donated seafood with our new partner, Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB). As the Fisheries Trust’s sixth food relief partner, SHFB will expand the impact of the Community Seafood Program (CSP)  to provide healthy, sustainably harvested seafood to those in need of food assistance, along with economic support to our local fishermen, food workers, and seafood businesses.

There’s something a little cosmic about Emily joining the Fisheries Trust as its new Programs and Communications Manager.

After all, Hess—who in her role oversees everything from the Community Seafood Program to the newsletter that might’ve led you here—has been drawn to Monterey Bay since she was a Utah native getting her first dose of the ocean visiting Pajaro Dunes as a kindergartener

Monterey Bay’s ongoing closure has inspired some area fishers like Sea Harvest Moss Landing to source crab from partners in Newport, Oregon, where fewer whales roam and the season has opened.

Here are 10 storylines worth revisiting—and track moving forward. They also help put into context what an interesting and challenging time it is on Monterey Bay (with links to learn more).

Meet the MB Fisheries Trust Operations Manager, Marilou Inzunza!

The original inhabitants of Monterey Bay were many things: artists and engineers, hunters and foragers, healers and collaborators, spiritual seekers and problem solvers, herbalists and songmakers and storytellers.

As much as anything, the area’s indigenous were fishermen and women.

At first glance, West Coast offshore wind energy (OSW) seems like a great idea. 

Think about it: Clean, renewable power generated efficiently, far enough from the coast that turbines are out of sight, out of mind. Delve a little into the unknowns involved with offshore wind, however, and things get a lot more complicated. Fast. 

This time last month hundreds of people—representatives from Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust included—gathered on the west steps of Sacramento’s Capitol Building to call attention to the ongoing state salmon and water policy crisis.

For many, trawling remains a dirty word, and not without good reason. 

One particular trawler, however, is helping change that in dramatic ways—while also changing the way Monterey Bay is being fished, managed, and understood. Meet the Noah’s Ark based in Moss Landing, CA.

In a state where eight of the last 10 years had drought conditions, finding fair and ample distribution for water between farms and fish is a tricky political needle to thread. Fortunately , Scott Artis and the team at Golden State Salmon Association have laid out a six-part plan for the California state legislature to meet the season-closure crisis.

This week the GSSA heads to Sacramento to share that reality for the Day of Action for California Water Justice & Salmon. 

Many lessons were soaked up by local fishermen who participated in last weekend’s first annual Fisherman First Aid and Safety Training (FFAST) hosted by Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust in partnership with California and Oregon Sea Grant. Keep reading to learn more!