11.10.2014
Fish Notes: Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco Bay Pier 45
Talk to Commercial Fisherman Chris and Bob
Chris is a commercial fisherman (Herring, Rock Cod, Salmon, Squid). We talked to Chris about
sustainability minded fisherman (who to talk to), the use of tech as a fisherman, and why local
establishments aren’t buying local. Chris said the person to talk to is Larry Collins current
president of the San Francisco Community Fishing Association www.SFCFA.com. Chris says
he is not very tech savvy and has not used tech to sell fish. He thinks because the lack of
marketing and local advocates (Famous Chefs in the area) has been a big reason why people
don’t know they are not buying and consuming fish from their local fishermen (many consumers
maybe assuming that the crab they are eating in the wharf is caught locally and fresh which it is
not). He mentioned that the SCFA was/is trying to set up a local fish market in collaboration
with Scoma’s Restaurant (they would provide the space) where local fishermen would be able to
sell their catch, it has not come to fruition. Chis supports the idea and tech to be able to sell his
fish before he gets back to the dock.
Chris confirmed that fishermen need special license to sell from boat and all their fish is sold by
distributors located on the pier. There is Flannery Seafood and Alber Seafoods
http://www.alberseafoods.com (Alber Seafoods was the most spoken about as being the best in
these conversations)
Bob (Crab Fisherman for 40 years on the pier). Bob didn’t want to be identified but we over
heard his name being called. He had strong opinions on the fishing industry in the wharf. He
believes “Larry Collins is an idiot...and that he hasn’t caught enough crab to make a taco and that
fishing in San Francisco has been extremely strong for the last seven years”. Bob says there are
always some fluctuations in the market. Llike Chris, Bob feels that mismanagement on the part
of California Department of Fish and Wildlife has most to blame for shortages and problems. He
says since the market has opened up to global distribution the prices they have been getting have
been solid and likes their current market. They negotiate prices with the distributors as a
group/association currently getting $3-$3.50 lb for crab and are in current negotiations. Bob
spoke highly of Aber Seafood Distributors as being the fairest and encouraged us to follow up
with Max there. Bob is also friends and has a lot of respect for Jim Anderson (Half Moon Bay &
Fishline app).
Saturday we will follow up with
Alber Seafood
Max Boland: max@alberseafoods.com
45 Pier, Ste B4
San Francisco, CA 94133
888 292 1640
Larry Collins
President of the San Francisco Community Fishing Association www.SFCFA.com
Pier 45 Fisherman’s Wharf
(415) 673-2917
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Fish Notes: Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco Bay Pier 45
Larry Collins
President of the San Francisco Community Fishing Association www.SFCFA.com Pier 45
Fisherman’s Wharf (415) 673-2917
Larry is president of the first community fishing association on the West coast, established in
2010. He represents members of 20 family-owned boats (and growing) fishing Dungeness crab,
salmon, herring, tuna, black cod, etc. Larry also buys from group of Hawaii fishermen fishing
and selling of sword fish. The cooperative provides its members offloading, icing, and selling of
all their fish. Additionally, the cooperative provides rebates on bait which can be a huge cost or
in short supply. Larry says it’s a numbers game the more fish he takes in the more he can sell
that is why it doesn’t make sense in his opinion to be an independent trying to sell to this
restaurant to this small buyers etc. Larry does some sells to a couple of local sustainable type
distributers/processers and he has blueprints and hopes to one day operate a retail store at
Fisherman’s Wharf to sell catch directly to Bay Area consumers. Larry says all communications
are done over satellite phone/or radio in order for him to know what is needed for appropriate
preparations to process the fish. Larry believes that most of the fishermen will find it hard to
adopt to tech they just want to fish and that what his job is all about, letting his men just fish he
handles making sure everything else is taken care of. We asked if he had any fishermen he could
recommend in testing out the app and he went back to wanting his men just focusing on fishing
not trying to input fish into an app.
Larry is a representative on many fishing committees and was able to go to New Zealand and see
what he considers a major threat to the fishing industry in the US. Fishing shares where
independent commercial fishermen are only allocated to fish in certain zones and limited in
poundage of fish they are able haul in (poundage versus number of). A monopoly of 8 major
distributors control the entire fishing market in the entire country with 90% of all their fish being
exported. http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Commercial/About+the+Fishing+Industry/default.htm
The US imports most of its seafood consumed as well up to 90%
http://www.fishwatch.gov/wild_seafood/outside_the_us.htm
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/Assets/commercial/trade/Trade2013.pdf
Alber Seafoods
Max Boland Vice President Sales max@alberseafoods.com 45 Pier, Ste B4 San Francisco, CA
94133 (888) 292 1640
Max is vice president of sales for Alber Seafoods. Alber is a hub that distributes fish globally
they get fish locally and across the country. Locally their biggest buyer is the china town market
but most their business is done globally, major retail markets and wholesalers. Max also
discussed the fish numbers game. They load containers with as much seafood as possible and
distribute it to Safeway and other wholesalers. Safeway for instance says fill as many truck
containers as possible and they will buy everything. They use traditional communications with
their fishermen (satellite phone/radio) on catch totals and also use typical catch trends and all
fish is sold.
For distribution tracking they use computers and software similar to quickbooks (inventory of all
their clients, fish species and totals. They will be migrating to fishwise software soon.
Additionally, Max discussed participation in the government observer program for compliant
fishing practices (they pay half the cost) http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/observer-home/. Max also
discussed various initiatives of government fish tracking.
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