September 2022 - The Director's Corner
As I move through my first month on the job with the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, my excitement continues to run high. I accepted this position because I believe a great deal of potential exists for us to celebrate and showcase this coast’s local wild capture fisheries, rebuild markets to support fishermen and ensure long term food security for our region. I want to thank my predecessor, Sherry Flumerfelt, for leading this organization over the last 8 years, growing it into a small but mighty force for good in the community. Thank you, Sherry, and best of luck in your new endeavor with the Western Flyer, which I hear is coming to the port of Monterey later this fall!
My days have been filled with the all-important (but slightly mundane) rigors of administrative onboarding, replete with accounting, budgets, HR, and software training. When not doing all of that, I have relished any chance to get out to the docks and say hello to old and new faces alike. I’m taking in the many small and large changes to each port and community in terms of activity and resources. The last few years I’ve been more engaged at the regional and national policy levels, and even though I live here in Santa Cruz and was a board member of the Trust, I had limited bandwidth to keep up with local fishery challenges and events.
After several conversations and visits to the harbors, I’m getting a picture that is not all that surprising. Even though we have some bright spots, fishing as a viable business is harder now than it ever was. Here are a few things I’ve heard so far:
Ever shorter seasons (and loss of market stability for salmon fishermen)
Higher cost of fuel and other expenses due to inflation = less net profit
Wind energy and other high stakes ocean policy decisions are an urgent concern, and the process does not seem to be genuinely considering impacts to fishery stakeholders
Insurance costs keep going up, making it harder to keep crew (making it riskier for skipper to choose going it alone)
For one of our most valuable fisheries, the whale and crab gear conundrum seems like there is no good solution yet on the table.
Essential infrastructure and services continue to disappear in CA ports
For the last several years, the MBFT has supported the fishing community through discounted quota leasing (our original mission), provision of management information (Buoy Bulletin), scholarships for leadership training (MREP), and creating a local pipeline for seafood to feed our neighbors during the pandemic (Community Seafood Program). Our mission and program activities continue to evolve, and I am here to listen and learn from everyone out there how we can best support our fishing community going forward. We may not be able to address every need, but we are working hard to make positive changes and offer support where we can.
Fall brings the last fresh king salmon of the year, crisp cool mornings and clear views from Pigeon Point to Lovers Point. I look forward to gaining more clarity through dialogue, sharing new ideas, and trying new strategies. There’s an African proverb that goes ‘if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’. Please know my door is open, and I welcome the chance to talk with you.