View in Browser

FEBRUARY 2026

Three Chefs who LOVE the Freshness of Local Fish from Ocean2Table

Ian Cole doesn’t think long at all when asked when he feels most alive in his job. 

“Definitely in the field,” he says. “Commercial fishing, working in the orchard, or mushroom foraging.” 

Cole, who directs the Ocean2Table food hub on the West side of Santa Cruz, identifies a current running through those experiences, beyond communion with nature.

“Talking to other fishermen and foragers, hearing from and talking to one another—

‘What’s happening with the weather?’ ‘Where’s the bait?’ ‘How’s the moisture?’—makes me feel connected to the resource itself, and gets me the most excited… it always has.”

He hastens to add other interactions that additionally stoke his fire: Meeting with both nonprofit food relief programs and area chefs.

We're excited for our upcoming Get Hooked Dinners, and want you to join us!

Hook + Line in Santa Cruz is hosting us on Feb 24th, and Chef Santos Majano is putting together an exquisite menu, to be served family-style in their comfortable, modern dining room.

Crab toast, grilled sardines, market squid, and rockfish are all being featured, and if you've never had a meal prepared by Chef Majano, you've been missing out.

Tickets for our March dinner at Foray are available now too! There is limited seating in their intimate restaurant in Carmel, so reserve your spot early.

Hook + Line

Tuesday, February 24th, 6-9pm

Foray

Thursday, March 19th, 6-8pm

These dinners directly benefit the Community Seafood Program, ensuring each dish supports both our local fishing families and community food access.

A special thank you to our dinner series sponsors!

Bay Federal Credit Union

We are looking for additional corporate sponsors to underwrite our 2026 Get Hooked dinner series. If you are interested in growing your company’s visibility by giving locally, please email us at info@mbfishtrust.org

The year 2026 has begun with some significant challenges, including concerning national news and a delayed start to the central coast Dungeness crab season. At the Trust, we’ve used this moment to sharpen our focus—setting clear impact targets across our programs and reflecting on our 2025 work to build on what’s working well and address what’s been harder to move forward. 

In early January, I had the privilege of speaking at the People’s Hearing to help organize opposition against the Trump Administration’s plans to lease federal waters off California for oil/gas and seabed mining. It’s important to note that seabed mining is particularly damaging to the ocean ecosystem, impacting everything from the ocean floor to surface waters.

Alongside our community, we continue to deliver meaningful impact. We recently celebrated two years of partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank by distributing local grenadier to families in need while supporting local fishermen. We are also collaborating with research partners at UCSC and the Monterey Bay Aquarium on the first comprehensive analysis of commercial fisheries trends in Monterey Bay in over 15 years. Look for more details on the report this spring. We are excited to have eight fabulous Get Hooked dinners planned for this year with premier chefs across Monterey and Santa Cruz counties!

A Year-Round Approach to Nutrition from the Sea

➤ As the seasons change, so do our bodies' nutritional needs and food preferences. While we naturally crave warming, substantial foods in winter and lighter, refreshing options in summer, seafood offers unique advantages across all seasons by providing essential Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and immune-supporting nutrients that help our bodies adapt to seasonal challenges.

SEASONAL SEAFOOD RECIPE

Roasted Petrale Sole with Pearl Couscous, Butternut Squash & Pepita Pesto 

Wetting our appetite for our February 24th Get Hooked Dinner, Chef Santos Majano of Hook + Line has shared this mouth-watering recipe, featuring locally caught petrale sole.

Warm couscous and butternut squash makes this dish the perfect comfort dish in the winter months.



Thank you to our confirmed sponsors thus far for the 2026 Get Hooked Dinner Series: Monterey Bay Aquarium and Bay Federal Credit Union. We sincerely appreciate all our partners, funders, and individual donors who continue to support the Trust’s mission. Our work would not be possible without the support of this community.

info@mbfishtrust.org | montereybayfisheriestrust.org