Monterey Bay remains synonymous with great seafood. But that reality grows more fragile.
When the local salmon season was cancelled for the third year in a row this spring, this is how I put it for a piece on behalf of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust: “If pondering the extinction of the California salmon fishery sounds dramatic, or premature, perhaps you’re not paying close enough attention.”
Things like poor river conditions for juvenile salmon (like low water levels and high temperatures), prolonged drought and iffy water management decisions all contribute to salmon’s precarious position, but I’m less concerned about their survival than local fishermen’s.
Salmon, after all, have shown eye-popping resilience I’ve witnessed with my own eyes: Last year, when the Klamath River was undammed after 100 years, tens of thousands of robust adults rallied upstream, speed-wriggling across shallows like thick silver snakes.
That’s on my mind for a few reasons. 1) I love seafood; 2) MBFT just hosted an awesome pop-up at Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside (and hopefully will do similar things at OBBC’s forthcoming Aptos outpost, debuting this year or next in the former Doon to Earth tasting room); 3) This June 9-15 presents Week of Seafood Giving.
The fundraising drive does a double helping of helping out, as a $25 donation to the Trust’s Community Seafood Program helps buy fresh local seafood from fisherfolk that’s then distributed to the food insecure area residents through local food pantries.
And for 2025’s push, anonymous donors have pledged to match each $25—which provides 15 meals—so the win-win doubles too.
On top of that, upcoming Get Hooked! Dinner Series installments visit this side of the bay this summer, with Colectivo Felix at Madson Wines July 17 and over at Pete’s in Capitola Sept. 18.
More on those dinners, dock sales and how you can help—including other local species to prioritize, from halibut to rockfish to sand dabs, and how to cook them like a pro—via montereybayfisheriestrust.org.
MORE GOODER
Speaking of opportunities for positive impact, three more await. As Congress continues federal budget negotiations, SNAP/CalFresh—the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program—is at risk, despite the fact $1 spent on it results in as much as $10.64 in health care costs avoided. Learn more and access an advocacy toolkit at savesnaped.org. Over at Homeless Garden Project, meanwhile, harvest and pickup of for its Feed 2 Birds campaign has enjoyed abundant harvests and passionate partners, while tickets are going fast for the annual July 19 Sustain Supper, with Chef Katie Reicher and keynote speaker/author Manjula Martin, whose Fruit Trees for Every Garden won the 2020 American Horticultural Society Book Award. homelessgardenproject.org. And on top of that, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship’s third annual National Trails Day with 19 volunteer trail work projects, friends, food, drinks, prizes, live music and a huge afterparty happens Saturday, June 7, act.santacruztrails.org.
SIZZLE REEL
Crow’s Nest (2218 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz) has launched into its inspired beach concert series 5:30-8:30pm Thursdays through Aug. 28, with ribs, chicken, prawns, burgers, beer, wine, cocktails, free admission and upcoming acts including The Cruzers (June 5), Wolf Jett (June 12) and Harry & the Hitmen (June 19), crowsnest-santacruz.com…Hop’N Barley returns to Skypark in Scotts Valley on July 12, hopnbarley.com…RIP, nostalgic ice cream: Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced a slew of closures, including more than 20 locations in California…A closing line-caught thought from Mark Twain: “When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.”
