June 2025 - Director's Corner

Why Local Seafood Matters

By Melissa Mahoney, June 4th

On June 7th, a breathtaking new documentary, Ocean, narrated by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, will be released. Through stunning underwater cinematography, the film is a powerful and captivating call to protect our ocean home. It’s one of the most compelling ocean documentaries of the past decade.

Sir Attenborough highlights many of the serious threats facing our oceans— including those caused by destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling in sensitive areas and the unintended bycatch of marine mammals, turtles, sharks, and other species. These are real problems in many parts of the world, particularly where regulation is weak or enforcement is lacking.

There’s a way to feel good about eating seafood and being an ocean lover: BUY U.S. caught, and more importantly, BUY LOCAL. The commercial fishermen operating out of California ports and the U.S. West Coast are leaders in sustainable fishing practices. They have to be, because here in the U.S. we have some of the most stringent fisheries laws in the world, robust enforcement, along with some of the best science which ensures healthy stocks and fishing levels.

Take the Pacific groundfish trawl fishery as an example. After decades of overfishing and habitat destruction, this fishery underwent significant reforms in the 2000s and transitioned to a fully monitored catch share system in 2011. Today, it is a model for science-based management:

  • Over 126,000 miles2 protected from trawling

  • 100% accountability for every fish caught or discarded—monitored at sea and on land

  • Strict limits to protect depleted, rebuilding, or vulnerable species

  • Sustainable certification by the Marine Stewardship Council since 2014

  • Gear innovations to further reduce habitat impacts and save fuel

Local Fishermen as Ocean Stewards

Although the film paints some industrial fishing practices in a negative light, and while many of those critiques are valid, it overlooks the many seafood producers actively working to restore ocean health. Here in California, fishermen are partnering with scientists, nonprofits, and state agencies to protect marine life.

One example is the Lost Gear Recovery Program, a partnership between crab fishermen and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. During winter storms, crab pots can get buried on the sea bottom, and lines/buoys can be swept away, posing a danger to whales and other marine life. This program empowers fishermen to recover lost gear during the off-season—reducing entanglement risk and improving ocean health. Crab fishermen have also invested significant  time and resources experimenting with pop-up gear innovations that could reduce or eliminate risk and allow a return to the longer Dungeness crab season. Leaders from each region regularly meet with the state managers, scientists, and conservation representatives to collaborate on risk assessment and related harvest control rules in order to prevent whale entanglements. 

Why Local Seafood Matters

The ocean provides a vital source of protein for over 3 billion people globally. With almost 9 billion people to feed, we must continue to fish—but we must do it responsibly.

And we can.

In places like California and along the U.S. West Coast, fishers have proven that it’s possible to balance ecological protection with food production and community livelihoods. Our local seafood industry is fishing responsibly, protecting biodiversity, and feeding our communities with care and accountability.

That’s why choosing local seafood is one of the most powerful choices you can make for the ocean. When you buy seafood caught by California fishermen, you are:

  • Supporting science-based fishery management

  • Reducing your carbon footprint

  • Helping protect marine habitats and species

  • Strengthening coastal communities and working waterfronts

The Ocean Can Recover—If We Let It

The ocean is resilient. With proper management, depleted fish populations can rebound, habitats can be restored, and communities can thrive. Films like Ocean help raise awareness—but it’s up to all of us to act on that awareness.

So next time you’re at the market or ordering at a restaurant, ask:
"Is this local? Is it from Monterey Bay/California/West Coast/US?" 

Because the future of our oceans, and the health of our community, depend on the choices we make today.

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