8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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ADeepDiveintotheSanDiegoFishingIndustryAlittlemarket,somebigboats,anda$2billionprojectarepoisedtoreviveSanDiego’scommercialfishingindustryTROY JOHNSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEWEY KE I THLY

“Thebeginningwastough—theydidn’ttrustus,”saysYehudi“Gaf”Gaffen,CEOofProteaWaterfrontDevelopment,referringtoSanDiego’sfishermenandwomen.“Fordecadesthey’vebeendiscriminatedagainstandbusinesshasbeentakenawayfromthem.Peopletakeadvantageofthem.”

GaffenandhiscompanyhavewonthebidtoredeveloptheSanDiegoharbor.Their$2billion“SeaportSanDiego”planwillhistoricallyalterthefutureofthecity’swaterfront—70acres,tobealmostexact.Thefateoflocalfisherslieslargelyinhishands.

AndalittlefishmarketonalittledockmaybethereasonbothGaffenandthefishersthemselvesaresokeenlyawareoftheirvitalimportance.

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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RIGHT:SEAPORTDEVELOPERYEHUDI“GAF”GAFFENPHOTOGRAPHEDATTHEDOCKS.

TheGloryDaysThere’sadecentchanceSanDiego’sfishermenandwomenhavestoppedreadingthisstorybynow,becauseitstartswithaquotefromadeveloper.Fishershavehistoricallyvieweddevelopersastheirmostfearedpredator.InacitylikeSanDiego,thewater’sedgeisthegoldvein,thebounty,themostvaluablething.Andwhilemanyplayersareinvolved—theSanDiegoUnifiedPortDistrict,theCaliforniaCoastalCommission,thepeopleofSanDiego(whoowntheland)—thefightoveritusuallyboilsdowntofishersversusdevelopers.Boatsversushotels.Baitversusbrunch.

TunaHarbor—locatedattheendofGStreet,sharingaparkinglotwiththeFishMarketrestaurant,theUSSMidway,andtheAmericanTunaBoatAssociation—isoneoftworemainingspotsalongSanDiegoBaydedicatedtocommercialfishing(theotherisDriscoll’sWharf).LongtimeSanDiegofishermanDavidHaworthstandsontheedgeandpointsatthings.Toparkingspotsthatread“ReservedforCommercialFishermen.”Totheswarmofpedestriansandtourbusescloggingthelot.Toanagingdockwherelobstertrapsandnetsarestackedlikeaworking-classartinstallation.Tothe100orsoboats,wheremenwithreptilianskintannedlikenewsanchorsrepair,well,everything.

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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CUSTOMERSWAITINFRONTOFTUNAHARBORDOCKSIDEMARKETAT7A.M.,ANHOURBEFOREITOPENS.

“ThisisourAlamo,”hesays,thenlaughs,acknowledgingwhathappenedattheAlamo.

SanDiegowasonceknownastheTunaCapitaloftheWorld.Atitspeakintheearly1970s,theharborwaslitteredwithgargantuantunaboats,somewithhelicoptersonthetopdeckforspottingfish.Everymajorcannery,includingBumbleBee,wasbasedhere.Theindustryemployedover4,000people,thecity’sthird-largestemployerbehindtheNavyandaerospace.

TheLongClimbBackThenfishingfamouslydied,formanyreasons.Butmostlydolphins.Duringthegoldrushforyellowfinandalbacoretuna,nearlysixmilliondolphinswerekilled,accordingtoSarahMesnick,anecologistintheMarineMammalandTurtleDivisionoftheSouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter(SWFSC).DolphinsdyinginnetswasaninternationalPRnightmare.Evensuburbankidsandmomsthoughtbadthoughtsaboutourfishingfolk.

Inresponse,theUSpassedtheMarineMammalProtectionActof1972,severelylimitinghowAmericanfisherscouldearntheirliving.Insurvivalmode,boatsfledSanDiegoandchangedflags—toMexican,Ecuadorian,WesternSamoan,anythingbutAmerican.Abroad,theyfoundgovernmentswhodidn’tcaremuchaboutbycatch(dolphins,seaturtles,etc.),quotasdesignedtopreservetheocean’sstock,orlaborrights.Alotofthemstilldon’t.“Weknow,becausewefishnexttothemeveryday,”Haworthsays.

SanDiego’sharborgraduallyreplacedcommercialfishingspotswithcruiseships,yachts,recreationalfishingboats,floatingmuseums.Thedecimationoftheindustrydidhavesomepositiveoutcomes,though:Overthepast50years,theUShasbecomeaworldleaderinsustainablefishing.

“Thedolphinmortalityhasdroppeddramatically,fromhundredsofthousandsayeartounderathousand,”Mesnicksays.Fishing’snotanexactscience.Ifyoudropahookinthewater,something’sgoingtobiteit.Butfromastatisticalstandpoint,lessthanathousandisbasicallyzero.

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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PETERHALMAY,UNIDIVERANDPRESIDENTOFTHESANDIEGOFISHERMEN’SWORKINGGROUP

Bluefintuna—oncetheposterchildforoverfishing—arereboundingfarstrongerthanofficialprojections.AnexpertwhoagreedtospeakanonymouslysaidtheUScouldraiseitsbluefinquotasrightnow.Butthepoliticalnatureofthefishhasledgovernmentagenciestobeextremelyconservative,whichmeansacouplemoreyears.SanDiego’srockfishwerenearlyfishedoutinthe’80s,wheneveryoneinrestaurantsorderedtheredsnapper(themenumisnomerforrockfish).Mesnicksaysthey’verebounded,andlocalfishersarereportinghugestocks.

Americansustainabilityeffortswerecarriedoutbycommercialfishers.Andthepricewaspaidbycommercialfishers.ThehalfdozenIspokewithagreedthattherestrictionswerenecessaryaftercenturiesofunregulatedoverfishing.“Butweweretold‘short-termpainforlong-termgain,’”saysPeterHalmay,a78-year-oldunidiverandpresidentoftheSanDiegoFishermen’sWorkingGroup.“We’vebeenunderverystrictguidelinesforthelast20years.Andthestockscamebackwayfasterthanpeopleanticipated.There’sgoingtobeamovementtoopenupthesegroundfishtopaybackthesefishermenforpreservingit.”

TheImportProblemThecurrentrewardforcommercialfishers’sustainabilityefforts?Ofthe7.1billionpoundsofseafoodAmericanseatannually,over90percentisimported.TheresaTalley,researcheratScrippsInstitutionofOceanography,publishedareportthatfoundonlyeightpercentofSanDiego’s86seafoodmarketsconsistentlycarriedlocalfish.Thisisbadnewsinmany,manyways.

“USfleetspaymoreforgas,payhigherNOAAfees,regulatoryfees,workers’compfees...thelistgoeson,”saysPaddyGlennonofSuperiorSeafood,adecades-longproponentofsustainableseafood.“Theydon’thavethatinMexico.InMexicotheycanfishforseabass11monthsoutoftheyear.Ourfishermengetamonthandahalf.Iloveourbrethrenacrosstheborder,butthey’replayingbyawholedifferentsetofrules.”

“Thethingthat’ssadaboutAmerica,”saysHaworth:“Ournegotiatorsareterrible.Atonepointwewereallowedtocatch900tonsofbluefin.Thenournegotiatorcametousandsaidheagreedtoreduceitto600tons—fortwoyears.Whatkindofnegotiatingisthat?MeanwhileMexicogot6,000tonsandJapangot15,000tons.Ourwholequotaisn’tevenoneloadforothercountries.”

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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CountriesoutsidetheUS—notjustMexico,butinAsia,Africa,everywhere—canundercutAmericanfishersbychargingamuchlowerprice.“Yougointoanywholesalerandyou’llsee80percentMexicanseabass,20percentAmerican,”Glennonsays.

Thatgiveslighttotheultimatecruelirony:Americans’desireforsustainable,ethicallycaughtseafoodhasresultedinAmericanseatingfarmoreunsustainable,unethicallycaughtseafood.AnaphorismIheardoverandoveragainduringmyresearch:InsteadofaskingwhyAmericanseafoodissoexpensive,customersshouldbeconcernedaboutwhyimportedseafoodissocheap.

DaveRudy,ownerofCatalinaOffshoreSeafood,saysthatUSfisheriesandmanagementarethebestintheworld.“Butconsumersstilllookforlowprices.Wehavetoconstantlyremindthemthatlow-pricedfishisnotthebestthingforyou,andsupportinglocalfishermenisimportant.”

SWFSC’sMesnickpointstothedozenorsoAmericanfishersusingdriftgillnetstocatchswordfish;theyareoftentargetedbyenvironmentalnongovernmentalorganizations,orENGOs.“Thesearethesamefishermenwho’vebeeninvolvedinfisheriesmanagementandresearchandreductionofbycatch,”shesays.“Theyworkwithscientiststofishwherethey’renothurtingmarinemammalsandturtles.Theseareveryadvancedfishermenwithveryadvancedgear.Ifyoushutthemdownandstillwanttoeatswordfish,you’reimportingtheswordfishfromplaceswhohavenoneofthat.Soyou’rehurtingthespecies.”

SanDiegofishermanKellyFukushimacallsit“thetransfereffect.”“Everytimeyoupunishalocalfisherman,youincreasetheamountofbadhabitsyouhavetoimport,”hesays.Inourfighttosavetheturtles,we’reeatingmoreturtlesinimportedseafood.

Or,asGlennonputsis:“That59-centcanoftunaisnotjusttuna.”

“Anothermallonthewaterwouldbeahugedisgracetotheharbor.”—Yehudi“Gaf”Gaffen

Commercialfishersmaketheirlivingbybeingoutonthewater,notbyattendingmeetingsorlaunchingpublicitycampaigns.Meanwhile,theENGOOceanalaunchedavideoseriescastinganegativelightoncommercialfishing.Thetitlesinclude“LaurenConradWantstoSavetheSeaTurtles,”“JanuaryJonesIsScaredFORSharks,”and“MirandaCosgroveWantstoKeepDolphinsSinging.”

ArepresentativeforOceanatoldmethey’resupportiveofAmericanfishermenandwomen,andthey’reallafterthesamegoal:sustainableseafood.ButeveryfisherpersonItalkedtotookissuewithENGO'sportrayalofthem(sodidthescientists).Theyarguethatthey’renottheproblem,andhaven’tbeenforsometime.Theproblemlieswithdubiouslyregulatedfleetsoverseas.AndvideosusingJanuaryJonesdon’tseemintendedforthemarketin,say,Samoa.

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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Asoneofthemostsustainablesushichefsinthecountry—RobRuizofTheLand&WaterCo.—oncetoldme:“Oneofthemostendangeredspeciesinourwatersisafisherman.”

Tochangethisandtelltheirrealstory,fishersneededapublicplace.AndinCaliforniatheyfounditatmarketslikeDoryFleetFishMarketinNewportBeach,andTunaHarborDocksideMarketinSanDiego.

TheLittleMarketThatCouldEverySaturday,alittlepiernearSeaportVillageislinedwithtables.Eachtableisteemingwithoneoftheover130speciescaughtbySanDiegofishers.There’surchin,blackcod,mackerel,rockcrab,spidercrab,yellowtail,bonito,halibut,mahi-mahi,skipjack,wahoo,mongchong,opah,bluefin—younameit.Afishermantalkstoafewcustomers,explainingwhatasheepsheadis,howtocookit.Hiswifestandsnearbyholdingtheirnewborn.

In2014,SanDiegofishersbeganeffortstoselltheircatchdirectlytoconsumers,justasfarmersdoatfarmers’markets.Itrequiredthepassageofabill(AB226,aka“PacifictoPlate”),butTunaHarborDocksideMarketfinallyopenedforbusinessin2015withawhimper:fivefishersfillingaboutatenthofthepieroutsideChesapeakeFishingCompany.

“Wejustwantedtomakesurethepublichadaccessto100-percentsustainable,traceablefish,”saysFukushima.

“Ithoughtweweregonnareplacesomeofthemiddlemen,”saysHalmay,oneofTunaHarbor’sfounders.“ThenIrealizedthatwasn’tthegoal.ThegoalwastosimplyshowthatfishingexistsinSanDiego.”

Themarketmadefishingcoolagain.—KellyFukushima

Marketattendancewasslow,buttheykeptshowingupeachweekendrainorshine.ThenSanDiego’sAsiancommunitiesdiscoveredit,particularlyFilipinos(SanDiegoishometothecountry’ssecond-largestFilipinopopulation).InmanyAsiancultures,seafoodisanalmost-dailystaple.Freshseafoodisnotadelicacyinasmuchasastandard.Asiancustomersalsosupportedthediversityofseafoodfoundatthemarket.

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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“Wehavedifferentspeciesthatdifferentethniccommunitieslike,”saysHalmay.“About60percentofourcustomersareAsian,andtheyknowhowtocookdogfishandmackerel.YourwhiteLaJollacustomerisbuyingthespotprawns.”

Justasmonocultureslikecornandsoyhavedevastatedfarmlands,acountrythateatsonlyafewspeciesoffishcreatesadangerousimbalanceintheoceans.In2015,only10fishspeciesmadeup90percentofAmericanseafoodsales(salmonandshrimpaloneaccountedfor55percent).Overfishingasinglespecies—tuna—ledtothecollapseofSanDiego’sfishingfleetinthe’70s.

“Likealotofthingsinlife,beingdiverseandmoderateisgood,”explainsMesnick.“Tunaaretoppredators.Youcan’tjusteatthelionsofthesea.Eatingthroughthefoodchainisgoodforyourhealthandthesea.”

ThenextwavetodiscoverTunaHarborwerethechefs.JoJoRuizremembersbeingpickedupbyPaddyGlennonforhisfirsttriptothemarket.Theyarrivedbeforedawnandmetallthefishersandtheirfamilies.“It’schangedmyentirecookingcareerandmylife,”Ruizsays.“Alotofchefssaythesamething.Ifitwasn’tforthemarket,we’dstillbeusinglangoustinesandturbot,stuffflownfromallovertheworld.”

CHEFJOJORUIZATHOTELDELCORONADO’SNEWSERE~ARESTAURANT,DEMONSTRATINGTHEIRWHOLE-FISHPRESENTATION.|PHOTO:JUSTINMCCHESNEY-WACHS

Ruiz,executivechefatLionfishandthenewSereaatHoteldelCoronado,creditsthemarketforhisbeingnamedaJamesBeardSmartCatchLeaderforsustainableseafood.AtSere~a,hepresentslocalfishwholetodiners,letsthemlooktheirdinnerintheeyeandchooseone,andthenthekitchenfilletsandcooksitforthem.Heswearsnotonlybytheethicsofsustainabilityandconnectingpeopletotheirfoodsource(“IwantmysontohavethesameseafoodIhave”),butalsobythetaste.

“Fresh,localvermilionrockcodis10timesbetterthanfrozenredThaisnapperusedatmostrestaurants,”hesays.“LocalhalibutasacrudoisbetterthanAlaskanhalibut.Haveyouseentheclawsonspidercrabs?They’regiant;bigasmywrist.”

There’saparallelbetweenTunaHarborDocksideMarketandSanDiego’sfamedChinoFarm.ItwasChinodeliveringtheproducefortheearlyfarm-to-tablemovement.AliceWatersandWolfgangPuckwereregulars.NowTunaHarborisfuelingtheboat-to-throatmovement,withregularcustomersfromsomeofSanDiego’stopseafoodspots—Juniper&Ivy,Ironside,Wrench&Rodent,TheLand&WaterCo.,TheFishery,TheFrenchGourmet,andSaikoSushi.

“Inmy20yearsofcommercialfishing,I’veneverseensuchabigincreaseinthedemandforlocalfish,”Fukushimasays.“Themarketreallyrevitalizedthefishingindustry.It’sattractedalotofpeopletothewaterfrontandmadefishingcoolagain.Fishingwasseenassomethingonlyoutcastsorcriminalsorpeoplewithoutrealjobsdo.Atthemarkettheyseethefishermen,meettheirfamilies,seethemworkingtogether.”

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It’sthathumanizingelement—andtheabilitytobean“attraction,”withpeoplecomingdowntowatchboatsunloadfish,snappingpicsfortheInsta—thatmayhavemotivatedYehudiGaffentomakecommercialfishersafocalpointofhisredevelopmentplan.

IRONSIDEFISH&OYSTERBAR’SCHEFDECUISINE,MIKEREIDY

TheFutureIsNowTheseaportplanincludeshotels,aveterans’museum,restaurants,almost400,000squarefeetofretail,anaquarium,anda480-foot“Spire”observationdeck.Ifallgoeswell,they’llbreakgroundinearly2024.Buttheplansanddiscussionsthatwillguidethesetectonicshiftsarehappeningrightnow.Waterfrontbusinessesmustspeakup,orriskbeingleftout.

“Anothermallonthewaterwouldbeahugedisgracetotheharbor,”Gaffensays.“AnotherDisneylandwoulddoadisserviceandhavenoplace.Therehastobeauthenticityofawaterfrontproject.”

Whentheportfirstaskedforredevelopmentproposals,Haworthsaystheywarnedthefishers.“Theysaid,‘Listen,guys,youbetternegotiatewiththedeveloper,becausewedon’thaveanymoneyforTunaHarbor.Ifyouwantitrevitalizedyoubettermakethedeal.”

TheinitialdiscussionswithGaffenwereheated.Fishermenandwomenarenotoriouslydefensiveoftheirterritories,becausetheirterritoryhasbeentakenfromthem—onceallottednineacresontheharbor,they’recurrentlydownto3.9.SoHalmayandafewothersformedtheSanDiegoFishermen’sWorkingGroup.Theystartedshowinguptoseaportplanmeetingsandportmeetings,havingproductivesessionswithGaffenandhisson-in-law,anex–NavySEALnamedAlexBuggy.

8/1/2019 | A Deep Dive into the San Diego Fishing Industry

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NICKHAWORTHANDHISFATHER,DAVIDHAWORTH.DAVID’SFATHER,RETIRED,ISALSOAFISHERMAN.

“Wherethere’stwofishermenthere’susuallysixopinions,”Gaffenlaughs.

“Formingthefishermen’sgroupletusspeakwithonevoice,”Halmaysays.“Wehadtostopfightingfiresandbuildafirestationfirst.Theworkinggroupisthatfirestation.”

Forinstance,theysentGaffen’sfirstproposalbackwithsomecuriousmarkups.“ThefirstfewdesignsanddrawingscamebackandtheyhadthemlabeledHS1andHS2,”heexplains.“AndIremembersaying‘Whatisthat?’ItwasHorseshit1andHorseshit2.Onafisherman’slistofpeopletheytrust,we’renotonit.”

Gaffenandtheseaportplanhavetobalanceeveryinterest,notjustthefishingcommunity’s—yachtswantspaceintheharbor,peoplewantparks,tourbuseswantparking,restaurantshavewants,hotelshavewants.Somanywants.Plusthere’sthemoneyissue.Unlikeothergoverningagencies,theportdoesn’treceiveanypublicfunding.Theydependonmoneyfromleases,andcommercialfishinghasnotbeenaneconomicboomforSanDiegosincethecollapse.Notcomparedto,say,aluxuryhotel.Notevenclose.

“Ifitwasn’tforthemarket,we’dstillbeusinglangoustinesandturbot,stuffflownfromallovertheworld.”——JoJoRuiz,ExecutiveChef,Sere~aand

Lionfish

ItwassofortuitouslytimedthatTunaHarborDocksideMarkethasgrownintoalegitimateattraction.Buteventhatwassmallpotatoesuntil—seeminglyoutofnowhere—thebigboatsstartedshowingupagain.

“Thesetunaboatscameinatjusttherighttime,”Halmaysays.“JustasGafwasaskingus,‘Howdoweknowyou’regoingtohavethisdemand?’—heretheycame!Isaid,‘Heyguys,here’syourdemand!’”

Thethreebigboats—carryingbetween20,000and40,000poundsoftuna—belongtoHawaiianFreshSeafood,whichjustrelocatedtoSanDiegofromHonolulu.OwnerFrankPorcelli(agradofPowayHigh)sayshehasplentymoreboatshe’sreadytobringin,manyfromtheovercrowdedHonoluluHarbor.Butinordertoaccommodatethisgrowth,SanDiegodesperatelyneedsmoreinfrastructure—slips,storagefortrapsandnets,icemachines,loadingdocks,cranes,andsoon.

InSeptember2018,GaffenandtheFishermen’sWorkingGroupsignedamemoofunderstanding.Init,Gaffenpromisesalistofitemsto“facilitatetherevitalizationofSanDiego’scommercialfishingindustry”—makingimprovementstoTunaHarbor,buildinganewprocessingplant,abridgewherevisitorscanwatchfishbeoffloaded,andmostimportantlykeepingyachtsandrecreationalboatsoutoftheir“Alamo.”

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Someareskeptical.Theseaportplantobuildaveterans’museumandaprocessingplantontheGStreetMole(nottomentionthenewManchesterGrouphotelacrossthestreet)willbringmoretraffictowhatisalreadyoneofSanDiego’smostcongestedparkinglots.“They’retryingtostuff10poundsof[stuff]intoafive-poundbag,”Fukushimasays.NearlyallfishermenItalktodoubtwhetherGaffenandtheseaportplancanpullthisoffwithoutgrindingcommercialfishingtoahalt.

GaffenandBuggyareconfidenttheycan.They’llbuildaworkablespaceforSanDiego’sfishers—andhelpestablishthecityasthecapitalofsustainableseafood.

“It’sadifferentiatorandit’sauthentic,”Gaffensays.“Commercialfishingisstartingtocomeback.It’savitalsecurityneed.Ifwecancatchlocal,sustainableseafoodforourcommunityandrestaurants—it’salegacyI’dbereallyproudof.”