A man on a boat holding up a string of freshly caught red fish, with a meat slicer on the boat and open water in the background.

Meet the Fishing Community

The People Behind the Catch

Behind every local catch are real people with real stories — fishermen, processors, chefs, and the families who keep it all going. Their profiles are the heart of this section.

Monterey, Restaurant Rory Glass Monterey, Restaurant Rory Glass

Pamela Burns, Wild Plum Café & Bistro

Chef

For chef Pamela Burns at The Wild Plum in Monterey “fish of the day” means just that: fresh, local fish recently brought to the dock by someone who lives along the same shore as she. It’s not a placeholder for fish long forgotten in the freezer with a source obscured by time and middlemen.

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Restaurant, Santa Cruz Rory Glass Restaurant, Santa Cruz Rory Glass

David Graham, Geisha Sushi & Japanese Tea House

Executive Chef

David opened Geisha Japanese Restaurant and Tea House in Capitola in 2011 – it was the first sustainable sushi restaurant in the county, and is still one of the few in the nation. He partnered with the non-profit FishWise which helped him craft a statement about sustainable seafood for his restaurant. The restaurant in and of itself is a manifestation of his passion for Japanese folk medicine, culture, and cuisine.

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