When many people think of conservationists, they rarely picture commercial fishermen. But the truth is, we’ve been leading conservation efforts since before conservation was a thing. We always have been deeply invested in the health and sustainability of our marine ecosystems.
We might not throw around the latest buzzwords and most of our knowledge doesn’t come from reading reports or crunching data. But make no mistake, we are paying attention—and are deeply concerned about the future of our industry and of our planet.
A Deep Connection with Nature
For many generations, commercial fishermen have spent countless hours at sea in every condition imaginable, doing what very few can truly comprehend. It’s impossible to live this life without feeling a profound connection to the ocean and everything in it. It is also impossible not to be reminded daily of just how little we truly understand as humans.
The late Zeke Grader from PCFFA described it this way almost 30 years ago:
“Commercial fishing builds in a strong ethic of stewardship and respect for nature. Fishing brings you face to face with nature at both her wildest and her most nurturing. Yet fishermen cannot put the environment passively on a pedestal—instead, like small family farmers, they must actively engage nature, seek to adapt to her natural rhythms where they can and take part in her bounty where she allows, but always on her terms.
“Fishermen seldom forget, however, that they are part of and dealing with a wild and enormously powerful natural system in which we humans play only a very small part,” he continued. “Both fish and human needs must be met by nature if we are to survive. All of us are nature’s children and owe her for our lives.”
As I have taken on the role that Zeke served in for many years, I am often confronted with historical positions and perceptions from years ago. However, most of the many threats we currently face could not have been imagined in Zeke’s day. Our fisheries are all unrecognizable and, unfortunately, not in a good way.
PCFFA is working diligently to adapt and evolve for the future, including letting go of a past which simply hasn’t gotten us the results we need. At the end of the day what we need is more access to sustainable harvests to feed our nation and more recognition of the needs of nature.
From the ocean, it is clear to see how good intentions and overinflated egos, combined with unnecessarily burdensome bureaucratic policies, are the biggest threats our industry and our environment now face.
The good news is that there are steps that can be taken right now, and ongoing processes that we can engage in, to try to bring about common-sense solutions that will make a difference.
Results-Based Thinking
At PCFFA we believe it’s time to try new things, to be open to possibilities and to collaborate and advocate for new ways to achieve new outcomes. Commercial fishing always has been a results-based business. We don’t have the luxury of abject failure; if we don’t catch fish, we don’t eat, and consequently, neither do our communities. If something on the water isn’t working, fishermen have no choice but to take action and adapt.
We must use this perspective to help our agencies and regulators on land step back from the weeds and away from overly complex analysis paralysis. We have to get to the bottom of what problems we are trying to solve, and actually work together to solve them, rather than using issues as weapons to further agendas that don’t actually solve problems at all.
This isn’t simple, but it isn’t impossible, either. To get there we must first reject the narrative of commercial fishing as greedy killers of the ocean and the enemy of conservation. This could not be further from the truth.
Unfortunately, some environmental groups are more worried about fundraising and political clout than solving the problems they claim to care about. Commercial fishing has been an easy target. We get it: every good story needs a villain, but we can no longer stand by and let domestic food producing family businesses be cast in that role.
U.S. fisheries, particularly those in California, already are operating in the most highly regulated and sustainable fisheries in the entire world. Commercial fishing brings vital cultural and economic value to our communities and our nation. These things should be celebrated and protected rather than vilified.
Time and time again, reducing fishing opportunities is heralded in the media as an environmental win because someone somewhere can check a box on a piece of paper or tell a good story that makes people believe it to be true. PCFFA is committed to spreading the word that it is not.
The truth is that reducing fishing opportunities does not inherently increase biodiversity nor protect ecosystems. In fact, sustainable fishing practices and robust fisheries management are often critical to the preservation of marine biodiversity and conservation.
More Domestic Seafood Production is Good for the Planet
In just one area out of many where this dynamic is playing out is in the current “30×30” conversation, which recently has been moving forward in California. The international “30×30” goal, which aims to conserve 30% of the planet’s lands and waters by 2030, has been embraced by many governments, including the U.S.
But based on the history of previous conservation efforts, commercial fishermen are understandably skeptical of the process. Some environmental groups and their political partners already are working in California to jump ahead of the “30×30” process and drive toward further restrictions on, or ending altogether, fully sustainable and productive fisheries—an attitude which is incredibly misguided and disheartening.
We can only hope this is based on a lack of understanding of the big picture.
The most ironic thing is that efforts to reduce use of sustainably harvested, domestic seafood that can be brought to market with a low carbon footprint only serves to further favor imports from countries with less protective climate policies—or at times, human rights policies.
It should be common sense that pushing highly regulated local food producing families out of business—while flying, trucking and shipping seafood to U.S. consumers from halfway around the world—only adds to the very climate damage we supposedly are trying to prevent.
It’s honestly mind-boggling to watch smart people spending time and energy on “solutions” that actually reduce economic opportunity, food security and equitable food access, while damaging local communities and our planet—all without achieving their stated goals of sustainable, science-based biodiversity and climate resilience.
We believe it is time to stop the noise, and to really focus on realistic, effective strategies that balance conservation and the sustainable use of our marine resources for the benefit of our society.
Moving Forward with Optimism: California’s “30×30”
It’s sometimes difficult to stay positive, but one thing commercial fishermen know and understand is the value of grit and tenacity and continuing to work, even when conditions are working against us.
Let’s be clear, the commercial fishing industry is not opposed to conservation nor to “30×30” initiatives. In fact, in California, we are finding the Ocean Protection Council’s (OPC) approach to “30×30” a transparent and science-based breath of fresh air. PCFFA is committed to engaging in that process to meet California’s goals.
In 2022, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) released Pathways to 30×30: Accelerating Conservation of California’s Nature, a landmark blueprint which details strategies and opportunities for achieving the California target. Pathways provides the following definition of conservation for the purposes of achieving “30×30” goals:“land and coastal water areas that are durably protected and managed to sustain functional ecosystems, both intact and restored, and the diversity of life that they support.”
For coastal waters, California’s already existing statewide network of 124 marine protected areas (MPAs)—16% of state waters—already is considered conserved per this definition. The work is beginning to classify 14% more coastal waters as protected under “30×30” and we believe that it can be done without any new fishery restrictions.
The Pathways document and everything presented by OPC to date note that “the state does not consider sustainable commercial or recreational fishing to necessarily be incompatible with conservation of the state’s coastal and marine biodiversity.” This is music to our ears, because we have always known this to be true.
PCFFA is committed to ensuring that this principle is not forgotten as this process moves forward.
We also are encouraged that the next step in the California process is to finalize the approach to evaluating the many areas we already have protected in California and to determine if they meet the requirements to be a part of “30×30.”
The OPC framework for how to do that was released in June as the 30×30 Draft Decision-Making Framework for Coastal Waters.
We also appreciate that before the OPC decision-making process is finalized, there will be workshops and stakeholder input and that so far, the expertise and knowledge of fishermen is not only recognized, but encouraged.
We are cautiously optimistic that the science-based and transparent process that OPC is leading will be an example for collaborative efforts between fishermen, scientists and policymakers that are essential to creating flexible conservation strategies that can adapt to new realities.
What We Can Do
As commercial fishermen, we’ve always known that common sense, practicality and experience are key to solving challenges. In the “30×30” process, and in every process that can impact our fisheries, we need to bring these skills to the table.
We need to help share our deep connection to the ocean with our regulators, scientists and policymakers. As Zeke said years ago, this relationship with nature is both profound and essential, and it is our job to make this real and communicate these realities to those on land who may make decisions affecting our livelihoods.
PCFFA is committed to ensuring that conservation initiatives are not just box-checking exercises claiming to “protect” biodiversity or “conserve” ocean resources by reducing access to fisheries that are sustainably well-managed and which provide an important food source for tens of millions of people.
We also are committed to encouraging all fishermen to stay engaged and actively participate in meaningful solutions to our changing environment. We can do both: we can support conservation measures and fight to ensure abundant fisheries access.
We encourage you to join us through your local PCFFA port associations so that we can make sure our voices are heard and our way of life and healthy oceans are preserved for future generations.
Lisa Damrosch is the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and comes from a fourth-generation commercial fishing family working from Half Moon Bay, Calif. She can be reached at the Southwest Regional PCFFA office at P.O. Box 29370, San Francisco, CA 94129-0370, or at lisa@pcffa.org. The phone number for PCFFA’s SF office is (650) 209-0801.