Tag Archives: Lori French

Sanctuaries aren’t working

One of the things I am not seeing in the discussion over a new marine sanctuary off our coast is how well are the ones we have working? As written by Lori French, “Unnecessary protection, there are four national marine sanctuaries designated in California since 1980. Also, there are 124 state marine protected areas, reserves and preserves, plus another five rock fish conservation areas. From the point of view of fishermen, all of this coverage is not producing more fish. The promised “spillover affect” hasn’t worked. So what is the answer from government and environmentalists? >click to read< 14:00 By Steve Rebuck

Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary – Unnecessary protection

Currently there are five National Marine Sanctuaries off the West Coast, four of which are located off the coast of California. California also has 124 Marine Protected Areas with an additional five Groundfish Conservation Areas. Here on the Central Coast, the waters off of Diablo Canyon Power Plant and Vandenberg Space Force Base are restricted and hinder our ability to provide you with fresh seafood sustainably harvested. Another protected area is just not needed off the Central Coast. We must also be cognizant that jobs may be lost as a result of the sanctuary’s designation. >click to read< 15:01 By Lori French

After yearslong shortfall caused by drought and environmental restrictions, California Is Overflowing With Salmon

The phones began ringing at Giovanni’s Fish Market & Galley a week after salmon season opened in May and have barely let up since. “It’s all day, every day,” said Giovanni DeGarimore, the owner.,,, “You can plan for bad years, but it’s hard to navigate when you’re totally closed,” said Lori French, wife of a commercial fisherman who has permits for both crab and salmon. But then the salmon season opened on May 1. “This is a ‘Thank you, Jesus’” moment, Ms. French said over a salmon lunch on the waterfront one day in mid-June, as her husband was out at sea. >click to read<09:31

Local Crabbers React to Possible SBA Loan Help

Crab-3-jpgThe federal Small Business Administration is trying to find out if California crab fishermen have suffered significant financial losses by a delay in the start of the annual Dungeness and rock crab fishing season. If the losses are substantial enough a  could be declared and low-interest loans would be available to crab fishermen who need them. “We’d rather go fishing we don’t want SBA loans, I can’t make that more clear”, Lori French says, “we’d rather go fishing, we’ve been self-supporting for a lot of years and we want to keep it that way, we’ve never asked for a handout and we don’t want a handout now.” Read the article here 09:04

Crab fishing boats remain in dock as season closure continues

dungenesscrabWhile Dungeness and Rock Crab are off the table, fishermen are losing a source of income.   “It’s our life, it really is. Everything revolves around the crab and the boat,” says Lori French, a local fisherman’s wife and the Vice President of Central Coast Women for Fisheries.   The delayed crab season has taken a toll on French’s family.   “We are living off of savings,” says French. “I don’t think when the press release went out we thought we would be looking at the new year without working and fishing, and here we are at the new year.” Video,  Read the article here 09:06