As Fresh As It Gets: A Fish Market Run by Local Fishermen
01/11/2016
Buying local fish isn't only about supporting California fishermen; it's also about supporting our well-managed fisheries.
You could have food trucks and farmers markets but there was nothing for fishermen, Theresa Sinicrope Talley, a coastal specialist with California Sea Grant at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography says.
Previously, fishermen could only sell their catch off the boats or at local farmer's markets. While places like Dory Fleet in Newport and Ventura Harbor's Saturday Fisherman's Market allow fishermen-to-consumer transactions, fishermen do not maintain full ownership of those facilities.
So when longtime San Diego fisherman Pete Halmay wanted to set up a weekly market for him and his buddies, he realized that the laws made it difficult for them to mobilize and sell their catch. Also, heavy restrictions impeded them from butchering and cleaning the fish on-site.
Butchering and cleaning a fish. | Photo: Clarissa Wei
I thought maybe I'm stupid. Maybe I don't understand bureaucracy, he says. He gave Talley a call and his suspicions were confirmed.
It was a problem with the state food code, Talley says.
Talley and Halmay brought it up to the attention of local lawmakers and in 2015, the Pacific to Plate bill (AB 226) was signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. AB 226 streamlines the operation of direct, local fishermen's markets in California. Fishermens markets in California can now operate as food facilities, vendors can clean their fish for direct sale, and multiple fishermen are allowed to organize a market under a single permit.
In San Diego, the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market was born out of this legislation. In its first months, the market averaged 350 customers and 1.1 tons of seafood sold each week, generating about $15,000 in direct sales.
Dockside Fish at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. | Photo: Clarissa Wei
More About Seafood
Chinese Restaurants Are Still Some Of The Best Options For Local, Live Seafood
Alfredo Gurrola, The Man Behind the Delicious Seafood Plates at L.A.s Premier Restaurants
Weekend Recipe: California Fish Tacos
1 of 22
next
We usually have at least six to eight booths and maybe 20 fishermen, Halmay says.
On a Saturday morning at 9 a.m., nearly all of the California spiny lobsters and sea urchins are sold out at Halmay's booth. The market opened up just an hour ago and the lines, populated mainly by Filipinos, are impressively long. There's whole swordfish, a bit of squid, cuts of tuna, and thornyheads. The rockfish supply was cleaned out by enthusiastic customers before I got there.
When the market opens at 8 a.m., it's mostly Filipino and other Asian groups like Taiwanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese, Talley says. By 10:30 a.m., it's more white, downtown residents coming in with their lattes. They are usually just browsing.
This makes sense: for Asian groups, fresh seafood is a cultural priority and the species of fish doesn't so much matter as long as the cut is fresh.
For those who aren't as fish savvy or just hungry, there's a stand at the market called Loaf And Fish that offers fish sandwiches and tacos. The stand is a gateway into the world of California local species and it's owned by Jolene Fukushima, the wife of local fisherman Kelly Fukushima. Today, swordfish and mako shark are on the menu.
Swordfish sandwich. | Photo: Clarissa Wei
Eating [California seafood] is like being a wine or beer connoisseur, she says. We can close our eyes and tell you what it is.
Still for these fishermen and their families, the market is not their primary source of income. Instead, it's a way for them to be connected with the community and inspire a new generation of fishermen.
We're trying to save the fishing industry, Halmay says. There's been a huge decline in fishermen in California. If you saw that decline in the fish stock, you'd say there's a huge problem. So that's where we are now. We need to bring in young people. We need to rebuild fishermen.
Decline in fishermen has been in part due to increasing regulation. California has more protected waters than any other state in the continental United States. Marine reserves and fishing rules have been enacted to preserve local waters from being overfished.
No doubt, overfishing is a worldwide problem; around 90% of the world's stocks are now fully or overfished. Yet while United States fisheries are some of the best managed in the world, we import more than 90% of our seafood, often from countries with few regulations.
Fisherman at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. | Photo: Clarissa Wei
Overfishing has stopped in the Eastern Pacific. It doesn't exist anymore, he says. What's ridiculous is the greenhouse effect of putting a fish on a plane and putting it here.
While places like the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market are trying to shift that balance, whether or not those statistics will change is entirely up to the consumers. According to Talley, early analysis has shown an increase in demand for local fish.
The market drew in more boats and local suppliers like Catalina Offshore Products have actually seen an uptick in sales, she says. It's bringing forward awareness of what eating local means.
--
--
Talley hopes the legislation will inspire more markets like Tuna Harbor Dockside throughout California, although she is yet to see that happen.
Just getting fishermen to organize among themselves is a challenge, she says. In California, a lot of the operations are small so there's not necessarily a fisherman's co-op or somebody helping to organize among them. A second barrier is that
LINK: | https://www.kcet.org/food-living/as-fresh-as-it-gets-a-fish-market-run... |
See more stories from kcet |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
02/05/2024
Former BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh joins EMG / Gravity Media
Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief operating officer By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 2, 2024 Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief ope...
02/05/2024
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman Brie Clayton May 2, 2024 0 Comments Durable Goods has signed multi-hyphenate director Lionel Coleman for commercial...
02/05/2024
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic C...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports Group, DirecTV Renew Distribution Deal
SOUTHPORT, Conn. and EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Diamond Sports Group ( Diamond or the Company ) and DirecTV have announced that they have reached a multi-year renewal...
02/05/2024
Three Nexstar Stations to Become CW Affiliates
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group has announced that its owned and operated television stations in Chicago, Illinois (DMA #3), Norfolk, Virginia (DMA #43), and ...
02/05/2024
FCC, FTC Ink Agreement to Cooperate on Net Neutrality Enforcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate consumer protection ...
02/05/2024
Haivision Celebrates 20th Anniversary
MONTREAL Haivision Systems Inc. is marking its 20th anniversary by detailing some of the accomplishments and developments that have helped the company become a ...
02/05/2024
Agora Introduces Adaptive Video Optimization Technology
SANTA CLARA, Calif. Agora today unveiled its Adaptive Video Optimization (AVO) technology that uses machine learning to adjust parameters dynamically at every s...
02/05/2024
Study: Streaming Market Is Saturated But Subscriptions Continue to Grow
NEW YORK Kantar has released a new study showing the U.S. streaming market has hit a saturation point, with the household penetration rate stagnating and at nea...
02/05/2024
Samba TV To Spotlight New Capabilities For Generative AI Ad Solution
NEW YORK Samba TV is debuting new capabilities for Samba AI, the company's suite of generative AI technologies, at the 2024 IAB (Interactive Advertising Bur...
02/05/2024
GSTV Pumps Up Research, Programming at NewFront
GSTV, the network that programs screens at gas stations, will be talking about new research and new programming at its NewFront presentation Wednesday....
02/05/2024
The Women': Author shines light on forgotten women in war
The Women': Author shines light on forgotten women in warThe bestselling author of The Nightingale', Kristin Hannah, has outdone herself with her new h...
02/05/2024
May 01, 2024
New technique improves T cell-based immunotherapies for solid tumors Scripps Research scientists help T cells more effectively kill solid tumors cells in vitro ...
01/05/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From I Saw the TV Glow to Power
Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) develop an eerie connection to a supernatural TV show in Jane Schoebrun's I Saw the TV Glow....
01/05/2024
Celebrate May the 4th With Special Star Wars' Playlists, Audiobooks, and More
Spotify's Star Wars celebrations are in full Force starting today, and this ...
01/05/2024
Spotify's New Hardcore Gardening Playlist and Brain Dead Collab Will Rattle Greenhouses Everywhere
All around the world, millions of Spotify fans love listening to hardcore punk m...
01/05/2024
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSED ON THE AUDIO-VISUAL INDUSTRY, IS OPEN.
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSE...
01/05/2024
QTAKE Pioneers Live 3D Stream to Apple Vision Pro
QTAKE, the leading video assist and on-set collaboration software trusted by professional filmmakers worldwide, launched a new cutting-edge feature at NAB 2024....
01/05/2024
LA County Opens Entertainment Business Interruption Fund Grant Program for Small Business, LAEDC Offers Updates
In HPA's ongoing focus on providing input and insight from city and county g...
01/05/2024
Trailblazing AI Storytelling by Empowering Storytellers: Curious Refuge
HPA Newsline had the opportunity to speak with Caleb and Shelby Ward, founders of Curious Refuge. Caleb and Shelby were participants in the 2024 HPA Tech Retrea...
01/05/2024
Supporting Global Air Traffic Modernization through Managed Services Infrastructure
L3Harris works with air navigation service providers who efficiently manage air ...
01/05/2024
Q&A with Scott Alexander, Aerojet Rocketdyne's new Missile Solutions President
Scott Alexander, Missile Solutions President, Aerojet Rocketdyne...
01/05/2024
Comcast: More Than Half of Viewers Frustrated About Finding Content
NEW YORK Just over half of U.S. viewers are frustrated over their ability to be able to find content to watch on TV according to Comcast....
01/05/2024
Bally RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinare's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Elodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist
Light Iron, the post-production creative-services division of Panavision, is excited to announce that lodie Ichter has joined the company's artist roster a...
01/05/2024
CJP presents live mo-cap demos at MPTS
CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation specialist, will feature live motion capture demonstrations at the 202...
01/05/2024
Media Links Partners with Sunteq for Representation in S...
Media Links, manufacturer and pioneer in Media over IP transport technology, has partnered with Sunteq spol s.r.o., a leading reseller located in Slovakia to st...
01/05/2024
Dot Group Showcases Enhanced Data Management and Sustaina...
Dot Group, a leader in cutting-edge data management solutions and the premier European reseller of critical Broadcast supporting IBM technologies, will demonstr...
01/05/2024
Glensound shows the latest in IP audio at MPTS
Glensound, industry leader in high quality audio systems, is showcasing the latest additions to its extensive portfolio of networked audio products at MPTS. Aud...
01/05/2024
Hitomi Broadcast to demonstrate ST2110 MatchBox at MPTS
Hitomi Broadcast, a leader in audio/video alignment and latency solutions, will be demonstrating advancements in SMPTE ST2110 workflows ensuring broadcasters ha...
01/05/2024
Leading UK vendors join in the CABSAT 30th anniversary ce...
Taking a leading role in the 30th anniversary CABSAT exposition (Dubai World Trade Centre, 21 23 May), the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland pavilion will fe...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps Powers Notorious DITs Green Energy Initiative w...
NXTGENbps, a pioneer in green energy solutions, proudly announces its partnership with Notorious DIT, a leading provider of digital imaging technology services ...
01/05/2024
Videosys Broadcast Brings Pan and Tilt To Coverage Of The...
As Cambridge celebrated its double win over Oxford in the 2024 Boat Race, behind the scenes celebrations were also taking place at Videosys Broadcast to mark th...
01/05/2024
Live After 5' summer concert series returns to downtown Raleigh
A popular - and free - summer concert series is coming back to downtown Raleigh! WRAL is proudly partnering with Downtown Raleigh Alliance for its Live After ...
01/05/2024
Cadent Launches Performance TV To Boost Omnichannel Ad Results
Cadent said it launched Performance TV, designed to increase the effectiveness of campaign by combining the reach of traditional linear TV with the targeting of...
01/05/2024
Eric Johnson, KOMO Seattle Anchor, Sets Retirement
Eric Johnson, anchor at KOMO Seattle, will retire as of June 6. Johnson anchors the 5 and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts and writes/produces/hosts Eric's Heroes,...
01/05/2024
T-Mobile Dials Deeper Into Ad Business With Retail Network (NewFronts)
T-Mobile said it is expanding its advertising business, creating an in-store retail media network and adding Plex, the video streaming platform for its footprin...
01/05/2024
Samsung Ads Expands AI Tools To Target Streaming Viewers (NewFronts)
Samsung Ads said it was introducing new opportunities for advertisers to use data about its viewers to target viewers across the full marketing funnel at its Ne...
01/05/2024
Samsung TV Plus Swings for the Fences With Streaming Sports Channels (NewFronts)
Samsung's ad-supported streaming platform Samsung TV Plus is putting more sports in its lineup with free channels about baseball, golf, hockey, auto racing ...
01/05/2024
Dan Rather Documentary Offers Open-Book' Look at Newsman
Rather, a documentary about famed newsman Dan Rather, premieres on Netflix May 1. The film looks at his rise to prominence in TV news, including his work coveri...
01/05/2024
Ken Wayne, KRON San Francisco Anchor, Retires Next Month
Ken Wayne, evening anchor at KRON San Francisco, is retiring after 33 years in Bay Area television. He was born in Marin County, started his journalism career a...
01/05/2024
Jeff Blaszak Promoted To Senior VP at ShowSeeker
ShowSeeker, the company behind the Pilot cloud-based order management system, said it promoted Jeff Blaszak to senior VP of business operations and strategy....
01/05/2024
Great American Media Picks VideoAmp As Ad Currency
Great American Media said it reached an agreement with VideoAmp that will enable clients to use VideoAmp's ad buying measurement and data capabilities when ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinaire's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Amazon CEO: AWS has multi-billion dollar revenue run rate in AI already
Sales rose to $25bn during the first three months of 2024, up 17 per cent year-on-year By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 1, 2024 Updated: May 2, 2024 S...
01/05/2024
Roku to Offer NBC Olympics Zone
NEW YORK NBCUniversal and Roku are teaming up to offer the NBC Olympic Zone on Roku, a new destination on the Roku Home Screen Menu. The dedicated channel wil...