Point Loma commercial fishing businesses and tenants at Driscoll\u2019s Wharf launched a new Point Loma Commercial Fishing Alliance at an Oct. 13 press conference at the wharf, which included wine and lobster rolls.<\/p>\n
The group formed as an effort to draw attention to the significant role commercial fishing plays as the \u201cfront door\u201d to San Diego\u2019s fishing industry. The alliance seeks to advocate and represent commercial fishing activities along the Point Loma working waterfront, known as America\u2019s Cup Harbor and Shelter Island.<\/p>\n
At the Oct. 13 event, speakers included Tom Driscoll, Tommy Gomes of the \u201cFishmonger\u201d Netflix series, and a partner in TunaVille Market & Grocery, as well as Mitch Conniff of Mitch\u2019s Seafood, along with Jimmy Silveira of Chula Seafood.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs most of you know, we\u2019re trying to save Driscoll\u2019s Wharf,\u201d said Tom Driscoll. \u201cI want to keep this going. But more importantly, for commercial fishermen in this area, this facility is really needed for them. So, the commercial fishing alliance was formed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitch Conniff said October is one of his favorite times of the year, but not because of Halloween or pumpkin spice. \u201cFor me it means cruising Sunset Cliffs, seeing the lobster buoys and all the guys picking up their lobster catches,\u201d he said noting that, 15 years ago, \u201calmost every single one of those lobsters that was caught was loaded onto a truck that came down here from L.A., and was driven back up to L.A. and put on an airplane to China.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pointing out that \u201cthat never sat well with me,\u201d Conniff added, \u201cSo I made it one of my personal missions to keep as many of those lobsters here locally, culminating this year where we\u2019re literally selling a couple of thousand pounds every week. It\u2019s been a dream come true to provide good, sustainable seafood for the local consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conniff concluded the new alliance wants to \u201cmake sure this waterfront is available to the fishermen, to us in the fish processing, buying and selling business and all of our neighbors that are consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third-generation Point Loman Silveira of Chula Seafood, a family-owned and operated business, pointed out they started with a commercial swordfishing boat that has been operating at Driscoll\u2019s Wharf for almost six years. Noting his grandfather came over from Portugal to \u201cfish the fleet here in the early 1940s, he added, \u201cWe\u2019re sitting on a waterfront that there\u2019s not much left of here in San Diego. And we\u2019re just trying to bring awareness to the fish that you are eating, and the fishermen that do the hard, heavy lifting every single day. We want to see this stay, and grow and prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chula Seafood processes and sends food out to local restaurants, said Silveira, noting their boat is out swordfishing six or seven months of the year.<\/p>\n
Tommy Gomes talked about the rationale behind the formation of the new commercial fishing alliance. \u201cAt one time, up until 1985, San Diego was the tuna capital of the world,\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody was here. And now we don\u2019t have any canneries left in the continental United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noting commercial fishermen nationwide are \u201closing their waterfront properties,\u201d Gomes added, \u201cOver 90% of the seafood that you consume in this country is imported. It\u2019s so important for you to know your source when it comes to local seafood. Zero fish mileage (transportation costs) is what it\u2019s all about. And it starts right here at Driscoll\u2019s Wharf in Point Loma.\u201d<\/p>\n
Added Gomes: \u201cI can honestly say, between Chula Seafood and Tunaville Market & Groceries, that we are now actively buying more local seafood than any company in San Diego. We can\u2019t buy 30,000 pounds of tuna at one shop, but we are supporting more local commercial tuna fishermen in and around the city, these two small family-owned companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gomes added that fact should give people an idea of what local commercial fishermen are up against. \u201cWe\u2019re losing the waterfront,\u201d Gomes warned. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely important that we get the public to understand that we\u2019re not fighting for something that we don\u2019t already have. We\u2019re just trying to hold onto spots where we can tie up our boats and sell fish. The history and tradition need to be carried on to the next generation. We urge you to come down to the docks at Driscoll\u2019s Wharf and meet the commercial fishermen that are supplying you with great quality seafood.\u201d<\/p>\n
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