Remaking the local fishing industry with a seafood CSA
Captains Charlie Lambert and Ian Cole have spent the past two years fishing in the Monterey Bay from their 17-foot Boston Whaler, and accumulating enviable contacts on sea and land while building their business Ocean2Table, a Community Supported Fishery (CSF). A relatively new concept in sustainable dining, CSFs are much like Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), offering the public a chance to buy sustainably fished fish direct from local fishermen. “Fish Alert” emails let potential buyers (a.k.a. shareholders) know what was caught that day. At Ocean2Table, both captains have degrees in marine biology from UCSC and make sustainable fishery management the heart of their work.
GT: Santa Cruz is infamous for its cliquey surfing culture, what is it like fishing here?
CHARLIE LAMBERT: It is very local, everyone knows everyone and there is generally a moral connection to the fisheries here in the Monterey Bay. We have our favorite boats that we work with. Our biggest concerns are: is it ethically, ecologically and sustainably caught? That is what we sell. We use hook and line on our boat, but some other boats we work with are trawlers. Not every trawler is alike. Some drag heavy-gauge nets for hours and hours over the ocean floor, degrading it and harming other species. Others are careful not to drag on the seafloor and are very careful about the size of the nets they use, so smaller fish can swim out. Twice a week we get up at 4 a.m., get our coffee, put on slickers and boots and head out on the bay to fish. Each species of fish likes a certain temperature, reacts to tide conditions, the phase of the moon, type of bait, the wind cycle, swells, and so on. So we respond to the conditions, as well. We also consider local word of mouth about where the fish will be. That’s not information generally shared. Our favorite fish to catch is halibut. They are challenging to find, you have to hunt around for them, and they only bite for a certain amount of time and only with a certain kind of bait. They can fight, too. The payoff is good because they are big fish.
What is your favorite fish?
IAN COLE: Sablefish, also known as black cod. They have more omega 3s than salmon and they are not overfished. We served that as our entrée for our first pop-up dinner. It’s great and you don’t feel guilty eating it like you do ahi or salmon, both of which are overfished.
Tell us about your multi-course Pescatarian pop-ups?
IAN COLE: Hopefully they are just as much an educational and collaborative process in the kitchen as they are in the dining room. We want people to talk about how we fish and collaborate at the harbor and how we work together with others here in the kitchen at the Food Lounge. Our partners for the next dinner on July 16 include Crescent Farms, Creative Cultures, Ty’s Eatery and Companion Bakery. We want to create conversation in the dining area and change to local food economy. At the pop-ups we take some risks, experiment with flavors and educate.
For more information on how to buy a share or attend a pop-up, go to getocean2table.com. PHOTO: Charlie Lambert (left) and Ian Cole of Ocean2Table, a local Community Supported Fishery. CHIP SCHEUER
