What We Do

Fresh crabs arranged on ice for sale, with visible claws and shells, in a seafood market or display.

Community Seafood Program

Buying local catch to feed neighbors facing hunger — while keeping local fishermen in business

It takes a village to make sustainable seafood in Monterey Bay possible — commercial fishermen and women, fish processors and delivery drivers, marine mechanics and chefs, harbormasters and scientists. Local seafood is the thread that connects them all. Here's what that thread holds together.

Close-up of a plated fish dish with a fillet of fish, vegetables, and microgreens on a black plate in a commercial kitchen.

get hooked

Building a Monterey Bay Local Seafood Movement

Knowing where to find local seafood — and what to do with it — is half the battle. The Trust makes it easy: the Local Catch Guide helps you find local sources, the #MontereyBaySeafood campaign builds awareness through digital storytelling, and the Get Hooked Dinner Series creates one-of-a-kind events that connect diners directly with the people who catch their food.

A fishing boat named Stoney Morgan with workers on deck, a smaller boat nearby, and seagulls flying overhead on a body of water under cloudy skies.

quota Leasing

The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust protects local access to the West Coast groundfish fishery — more than 90 species, including sablefish, Petrale sole, lingcod, and rockfish. We do this by holding fishing rights (individual fishing quota and permits) for the local community, and leasing them annually to fishermen at affordable, reduced rates.

Protecting Local Access to Local Fishing Rights

View from a boat showing fishing nets, ropes, and a man standing on the deck, with a marina and industrial power plant with two tall smokestacks in the background under a clear blue sky.

Future of Blue

The Future of Blue is a groundbreaking regional initiative — led by the Trust with Regenerative California and other partners — to revitalize Monterey Bay's working waterfronts and build a thriving blue economy: the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, better livelihoods, and jobs, while preserving ocean health.

Revitalizing the Working Waterfront

“The Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust plays a key role in strengthening both the supply and demand sides of our local seafood system. Their work supports fishermen, connects communities, and helps ensure that Monterey Bay remains a thriving working waterfront.”
Ian Cole, Owner Ocean2Table