APRIL 2025

Dear Emily,

April is now in full swing, and we can feel the momentum of the season picking up. There is a lot going on with upcoming management meetings, the progression of our new Future of Blue initiative (more below in the Lookout Santa Cruz Article and Director's Corner linked below), changes to our events calendar, and more.

Here’s what’s on the menu this month:

• Monterey Bay fisher Valerie Faulk represents our region at recent PFMC meeting

• MBFT featured in the press

• Upcoming events and schedule changes

• Director's Corner - a recent round table in Moss Landing

• Acqua Pazza recipe, courtesy of Real Good Fish

Dive in and stay connected!

Monterey Bay fisher Valerie Faulk represents our region at recent PFMC meeting

Fisheries management is a complex business, and as fishermen often joke: 'if you're not at the table, you may be on the menu'. Fisher voices and knowledge throughout the management process are crucial to ensuring the overall outcome of fishing regulations are not only sustainable for the resource, but for local communities. Local fisher Valerie Faulk is now seeing that firsthand.

A Santa Cruz native and second generation fisher, Valerie Faulk, has been around commercial fishing her entire life. Her father, Tom, and mother, Coco (profiled by MBFT here), own and operate a commercial fishing vessel, the F/V Aqua Leo, out of Santa Cruz Harbor and Half Moon Bay.

MBFT In the Press

Lookout Santa Cruz recently publiched the article "From crisis to comeback: How a tiny nonprofit is working to save Monterey Bay's fishing industry" by Lily Belli. The piece highlights the efforts of the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust and the goals we are working towards. Please check it out if you haven't already, and read more about our recent activities and initiatives to ensure thriving local fisheries for years to come.

IMPORTANT UPDATES!

Unfortunately, the May 15th Get Hooked dinner at Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette has been postponed. We look forward to partnering with Salt Wood in the future!

We are excited to announce two new events in April and May that offer a twist on the Get Hooked style - one at a local brewery and another on the Capitola Wharf. Details below and hope to see you there!

Pop-Up at Buena Vista Brewing Co

Watsonville

April 26th

(non-ticketed event)

Join us at BVB on the 26th as we participate in Arte de Corezón's Selena Tribute Event in Watsonville!

Every pour will contribute a donation to the Community Seafood Program

Outstanding in the Field Dinner on Capitola Wharf

Capitola

May 28th

3pm

This will be a truly unique event, as Outstanding in the Field brings their signature long-table outdoor event format to the Capitola Wharf to benefit the Community Seafood Program.

Purchase Tickets

Other Upcoming Events:

The Lantern Room, Monterey Beach Hotel - June 10th

Colectivo Felix, Santa Cruz - July 17th

Pete's, Capitola - Sept 18th

Solstice, Big Sur - Nov 16th

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

A Monthly Digest from

Executive Director Melissa Mahoney

In early March, after many weeks of outreach and planning, we held our first community roundtable meeting in Moss Landing to continue progress on one of our top priorities: improving working waterfront infrastructure. As part of the Future of Blue Initiative, we gathered with local fishermen, seafood related business owners, and representatives from Monterey County and Moss Landing Marine Labs (MLML) to discuss what a thriving and resilient waterfront community could look like.

SEASONAL SEAFOOD RECIPE

Acqua Pazza

Acqua Pazza means “crazy water” in Italian, and is a traditional Neapolitan dish where fish is poached in a flavorful broth of tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and white wine. It stems from the way fishermen would cook their catch in seawater, and is an easy, delicious way to cook a number of the flaky fish species we have here in the Monterey Bay.

This recipe, courtesy of Real Good Fish, is wonderful with local rockfish, petrale sole, or halibut. Check out this and other recipes they have available in their online catalog!

Get the Recipe

Thank You to Our Generous Donors

We’d like to extend a big thank you to Caroline Singer and Chef Michael Chang, and the entire team at Foray for hosting a full-house Get Hooked dinner in March, and to all those who joined us for the event to support the Community Seafood Program. Thank you to Pinnacle Bank in Salinas for sponsoring three of our Get Hooked dinners. We are also extremely grateful for the uplifting support of The Campbell Foundation and to all of our funders and individual donors who continue to support the Trust. Our work would not be possible without this community.

info@mbfishtrust.org | montereybayfisheriestrust.org

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