Tag Archives: Half Moon Bay
Salmon populations are struggling, bringing economic woes for California’s fishing fleet
The season typically runs from May to October, but California Chinook salmon populations have declined so severely in recent years that fishery authorities are considering whether to adopt severe restrictions this season or impose a ban on fishing altogether for the second consecutive year. For those whose livelihoods revolve around catching salmon, the shutdown has brought hard times and widespread frustration. “It’s devastating. It’s absolutely devastating,” said commercial fisherman Chris Pedersen. “They’re literally killing the salmon fleet.” Pedersen, who is 64 and has been fishing for salmon since he was a boy, turned to other work over the past year to make ends meet. He has fiberglassed boats, delivered meals and built sheds at a horse ranch. “You’ve got to do whatever you can to live,” he said. Photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 07:48
Bay Area commercial fishers struggling under weight of recent catch restrictions
Bay Area commercial fishers say they are facing unprecedented financial hardships this year after dealing with a range of restrictions on several of their key catches. “I’m struggling to pay my bills. I’m definitely going to be in the red this year,” said William “Captain Smitty” Smith, who has commercially fished and run charters out of Half Moon Bay since 1985. Smith says he has been hit hard by the State’s decision to cancel salmon season off the coast for the first time in 14 years. “My overall business for the year, is down 90 percent,” said Smith. “The salmon is one of the major mainstays of this whole harbor. If you look across, every boat is here, every boat is tied up. These guys have got mortgages to pay, got bills to pay,” said Smith. Video, >>click to read<< 10:15
Speakers Series: Ernie Koepf- Fish tales
Ernie Koepf was born (1951) and raised in Moss Beach and raised his own family in El Granada. He now resides in the hills of Oakland with his wife of 16 years, Jan Moestue. Early in his life he was initiated into the fishing community and was known as Little Ernie to his father’s Big Ernie, a prominent commercial fisherman in the community. Much change has come about to Princeton and the fisheries of the West Coast. The history of the Coastside is also rich with change. Ernie Koepf is here to speak on both. Sept. 7, at the Half Moon Bay Odd Fellows, Half Moon Bay, Ca. $10 admission supports our Youth Services Programs. >click to read< 12:21
Dungeness crab fisherman from Half Moon Bay claims hefty fine ‘the most unfair thing’
Half Moon Bay commercial fisherman Paul Toste this week agreed to pay $17,000 in fines after state game wardens caught him fishing illegally for crabs in a marine preserve. But Toste, 52, claims he was unjustly persecuted and punished for a simple navigation mistake. “This was the most unfair thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Toste said. “The original fine was $610,000 — for 15 crab pots. They tortured me for nine months of negotiating. It was one of the most horrible things I went through.” When he moved to the area 16 years ago, fishing was legal in what is now the reserve, he said. “They took that away from us,” he said. “We never were compensated for it, and then … I’m receiving a ticket for $610,000.” >click to read< 14:35
Crab season opens with frustration in San Mateo County – late start and half pots
Commercial crab fishing out of Half Moon Bay will open at midnight on New Year’s Eve following several delays over concerns about humpback whales in the area but a late start on top of other restrictions have cut into profits for frustrated local fishers. Local fishermen like Brittany Binkley, who fishes out of Pillar Point Harbor with her husband Adam Johnson, are worried the combination of the late start and half pots will make it difficult to turn a profit. Daniel Thoresen, who also fishes out of Pillar Point, said he is frustrated because he and his crew are not sure how much the crab will sell for and the delayed season pushed the fishermen deeper into winter. >click to read< 08:33
Half Moon Bay fishermen optimistic about Dungeness crab season opening
“I’m a little optimistic. Everyone thinks there is a little more this year than last year, and the weather the next handful of days look really nice,” crab fisherman Scott Edson said. Edson, who will be fishing out of Point Reyes this year with a crew of two on his 36-foot boat, has spent the last few days getting ready for the upcoming crab season the next few months. He has less pressure this season after a great salmon season,,,“I think it’s gonna be better than last year, maybe a little better,” Edson said. Porter McHenry, who fishes out of Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay, agreed. >click to read< 08:50
Locally sourced seafood attracting crowds to the fishing boats in Half Moon Bay
Commercial trawlers pan for bottom-feeders at least three miles from shore. Purse-seiners use nets closer to the surface, while traditionalists fish the way the Egyptians did with hooks and lines. Nothing causes a bigger commotion than Dungeness crab in late fall, when eager customers line the docks like going to the DMV. The crustacean has joined turkeys as a Bay Area staple of the holiday dinner table. “All the crab pots are like little money banks that you just pull up and dump out the money,” Hassan said. Weekend dock sales have become integral to survival for anglers like Hassan. Smaller boats don’t catch enough to supply wholesalers, so they bypass the supply chain for direct sales. >click to read< 13:31
Fisherman at sea stabbed in the head by crewman facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon
A fisherman on a boat out at sea from the Half Moon Bay area was stabbed in the head by a crewmate but will survive,,, Orion Carlson, 39, of Chimacum, Washington, allegedly stabbed his crewmate in the back of his head, resulting in a several-inch-long laceration, with part of the knife breaking off in the victim’s head, prosecutors said. Other crewmates saw the incident and took the boat back to shore, where the man was rushed to the hospital and Carlson was arrested. The incident took place 10 a.m. July 27, while the crew was out squid fishing. >click to read< 14:37
James William Salter Jr., longtime Half Moon Bay commercial fisherman, has crossed the bar
Jim graduated from Los Altos High School in California where he met his childhood sweetheart, Jan. After many camping trips to Half Moon Bay, he and Jan decided to make the tranquil coast their home. His work ethic and desire to take care of his family led him to become a self-taught commercial fisherman for over 48 years. Together Jim and Jan ran Salter Crab Co., a business his children were also actively a part of, bringing live crab and troll-caught king salmon to farmers markets around the Bay Area for over 30 years. He introduced rock crab, a delicious, sweet but smaller crab with egg row, a highly sought-after delicacy to their numerous customers. “Eat rock crab, be strong, live long,” he would always say. Above all, Jim was an amazing husband and an extraordinary father and grandfather. >click to read< 20:50
California Fishermen mark a pleasant surprise after preparing for a grim summer. An abundance of fish.
Scott Edson, who fishes out of Half Moon Bay, said this season has been great for everyone, with an abundance of fish in the water not seen in years. “This year is something guys say they haven’t seen in 15 to 20 years. It’s been a pretty good season so far,” Edson said.,,, Don Marshall, who fishes out of Half Moon Bay, said the salmon season had been a lot better than expected, and he had seen more fish than in the last 10 to 15 years. He recently caught 180 salmon totaling around 2,000 pounds, a daily catch worth $13,000 at $6 a pound pricing. “I had the best day I have ever had,,, Nobody expected this many fish, and many fishermen were preparing for a grim summer and other options,” >click to read< 11:17
Half Moon Bay: Commercial crab fishing set to start Monday
Commercial crab fishing season will start Monday, Jan. 11, in the Half Moon Bay area after local fishermen reached an agreement with seafood companies,,, The agreement means local Half Moon Bay fisherman will sell fresh crab on Johnson Pier at Pillar Point Harbor as early as Friday, Jan. 15. Local stores could see fresh crab arrive that weekend, according to Half Moon Bay fisherman Frank Souza. “We’re excited to get it started and stop all the phone calls and the stuff we are not good at,” Souza said. Fishing associations representing San Francisco, Bodega Bay and Half Moon Bay have reached a gentlemen’s agreement not to start setting down nets and gear in fishing waters until 8 a.m. Monday,, >click to read< 08:48
California Crab Fishermen Reduce Asking Price To $3.10; Representative for Processors Says COVID-19 Effects On Dungeness Market Continue – >click to read<
Coronavirus: Commercial Fishing During A Pandemic
My name’s Jake Bunch and I’m a commercial fisherman based out of Half Moon Bay, California. Jake started fishing in 2012. He fishes for king salmon, Dungeness crab, and sablefish, or black cod. Jake says he hasn’t been fishing anywhere near as much as he usually would this time of year. With shelter-in-place and other coronavirus related restrictions there just haven’t been enough buyers and reliable markets to make it worth it. Before COVID, about 75% of commercially fished salmon in California went to restaurants. Now, that market has mostly dried up. >click to read< 10:36
Fishermen gearing up for next leg of the commercial salmon season
After the season for commercial salmon fishing kicked off in May with two stints totaling less than three weeks, fishermen are looking forward to the end of the month when they’ll be able to cast their lines almost uninterrupted through September. June 30 marked the end of the second stint between Pigeon Point and the Mexican border, after the first open week spanned May 1-7. Starting July 26 through August, commercial boats will get the green light between Pigeon Point and Horse Mountain, including the San Francisco Bay. And while fishermen are less than thrilled with this year’s scaled-back season for salmon, catches have been on the rise for many of them, at least when they’re allowed to fish. >click to read<10:18
‘Tis the season – Commercial crabbing begins off the coast of Half Moon Bay
As the clock struck midnight, local fishermen of the coast of Half Moon Bay began eagerly reeling in the first commercially caught crabs of the season. The scene at Pillar Point Harbor’s docks the day before the official Nov. 15 opener of California’s commercial crab fishery was described simply as “a zoo.” “We’re excited. The last month or so you’ve just been working on the boat, working on the crab pots, getting everything ready. And now, you finally get to go to work, get to catch something. We’re all pumped up,” said Porter McHenry, captain of the Merva W and president of the Half Moon Bay Seafood Marketing Association. click here to read the story 10:38
Lack of crab ripples through Pillar Point Harbor
Instead of the hustle and bustle enlivening the docks at Pillar Point Harbor this time of year, little action is afoot with hundreds of crab pots sitting idle as fishermen ponder how to supplement their income while the popular season remains closed. “I told my crew: ‘Guys, if you can find some other work, pick it up. Because it’ll probably be at least a month before we go fishing.’ If I can find other work, I’ll try it too,” said Porter McHenry, a local captain and president of the Half Moon Bay Seafood Marketing Association. “You try and stay in high spirits,,, Read the article here 08:59
Coast Guard responds to grounded fishing vessel near Half Moon Bay
Command Center watchstanders were notified at 11:22 p.m. Friday from a 50-foot commercial fishing vessel that had run aground near Half Moon Bay seven miles south of Pillar Point Harbor. The 50-foot vessel identified through FN inquiry is F/V Denise. Parker Diving Service fully removed all fuel from the fishing vessel before they and Coast Guard personnel departed the scene. The vessel owner is coordinating with NOAA for the vessel’s salvage and removal from the National Marine Sanctuary. Read the rest here 10:06
