We feel confident in supporting seafood harvested by our local fishermen and farmers. Here’s why:

Strict Management:
California has some of the strictest fishing regulations in the world. Oversight is generally very good. California’s extensive network of marine protected areas creates areas off limits to fishing, serving as insurance against large-scale overexploitation of several important fishery species. Local fishermen have also adopted fishing techniques that minimize interaction with marine mammals and bycatch (unintended harvest of species that aren't consumed).

Financial Support = Environmental Support:
Santa Barbara fishermen often get better prices by selling their seafood locally. Better profits allow them to fish more selectively, leading to lighter resource use. Also, when buying from local fishermen, we can create price incentives for continuing to improve environmentally friendly fishing practices.

Food Miles:
Imported seafood is flown by airplane, and oil is burned to keep it cold for days to months, creating a large carbon footprint. Local seafood represents a source of protein with a small carbon footprint, making it better for you and the environment.

Diversity/Scale:
The Santa Barbara Channel supports a small-scale owner-operated fishing fleet that responds dynamically to the seasonal and annual changes in seafood availability in the Channel. Fishing a diversity of species helps avoid overexploitation of single species. Supporting small-scale local fishermen instead of industrial fishing boats from elsewhere supports less waste, more transparency and accountability, and fair trade!

Transparency:
We can provide information on who caught the seafood, where it was caught, how it was caught, and when it was caught. We can provide also information on the species of seafood, health benefits, a short bio of the fisherman and his/her vessel and a description of the techniques and tools that were used.