The Monthly Newsletter With All of Your Monterey Bay Fisheries Updates

JANUARY 2026

Dear Fisheries Friend,

New Year’s greetings, and we hope this message finds you well, even if you, like many of us across California, were navigating the intense storms that kicked off early January 2026! It was a stark reminder of nature's power.

We closed the year with an outpouring of generosity from this community. Thank you to everyone who makes our work possible through your support! As 2026 gets fully underway, we step into the second quarter of this century—a milestone that feels both momentous and calls for renewed purpose. We’re energized by the initiatives ahead and look forward to sharing our progress with you in the months to come as we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the year together.

Here’s what’s on the menu this month:

• Get Hooked Dinner - Hook+Line in Santa Cruz on Feb 24th

• Director's Corner - Happy New Year!

• Hooked on Nutrition with Positively Groundfish

• Recipe - Dungeness Crab Salad with Avocado and Orange

Dive in and stay connected!

The 2026 Get Hooked Dinner series lineup is out, so mark your calendars and join us for all of these exceptional events celebrating local seafood, as well as those who procure and prepare it.

Check Out the Lineup

Hook + Line in Santa Cruz is hosting the first 2026 Get Hooked Dinner of the year from 6-9pm on Tuesday, February 24th. Tickets are available now!

Purchase Tickets

Hook + Line

105 WALNUT AVE

SANTA CRUZ, CA, 95060

Tuesday, February 24th, 6-9pm

This dinner directly benefits 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, Monterey Bay Aquarium and 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

A Monthly Digest from

Executive Director Melissa Mahoney

As the wheels of commerce begin to turn in the new year, we face both opportunities and challenges—ones we must meet together.

The first major challenge is a threat to the entire California coast: our ocean ecosystem and the economy it sustains. Late last year, the Trump Administration released plans to open federal waters to oil, gas, and deep-sea mining exploration. The proposal includes six potential lease sales off the California coast—three in Southern California, two in Central California, and one in Northern California—placing large stretches of our shoreline at risk.

This plan threatens coastal communities, wildlife, and local economies by increasing the risk of spills and driving unnecessary fossil fuel expansion. If you would like to speak out, public comments are currently being accepted until January 23, 2026. I encourage everyone to share your voices and help protect California’s coast. Save Our Shores is spearheading our region’s response, including events, details on the proposed plan and opportunities for public comment.

Your Key To Health -

The Right Omega-3 : Omega-6 Balance

➤ Too much Omega-6 from seed oils and not enough Omega-3 from seafood? Most of us have the balance all wrong—and it’s quietly impacting everything from inflammation to mental health. Learn how rebalancing these essential fats, with the right foods, can transform your health.

➤ READ ARTICLE

SEASONAL SEAFOOD RECIPE

Dungeness Crab Salad with Avocado and Orange

As crab season opens on the Central Coast, enthusiasm is high to head to everyone's favorite local seafood hubs (or watch for dock sale alerts!) and bring home these tasty crustaceans.

This recipe, courtesy of our friends at Real Good Fish, is a perfect way to incorporate fresh dungeness crab into a healthy, nutritious dish to kickstart a new year.

Recipe Here

Thank You to Our Generous Donors

We are deeply grateful to the 75 donors whose collective generosity of nearly $56,000 powered our 2025 End-of-Year Giving Campaign, including gifts made through Monterey County Gives— surpassing our $50,000 goal! Your support directly strengthens our programs and our mission. We extend special thanks to the Monterey County Weekly, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, and Community Foundation for Monterey County for organizing MCGives! and for their continued leadership in advancing community-driven impact. We also gratefully acknowledge a Donor-Advised Fund contribution through the Community Foundation for Santa Cruz County, enabling support across multiple programs where it’s needed most.

info@mbfishtrust.org | montereybayfisheriestrust.org

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