Delle Willett

Local nonprofit feeds fresh fish to San Diego’s hungry for free

In 2009, Todd Bluechel, a San Diego native who has fished humanely and with respect for the environment for over 30 years, became tired of two issues that concerned him: unwanted fish and hungry people. He began thinking of ways to merge the two in a sustainable, environmentally friendly and resourceful manner.

His solution became “Fish. Food. Feel Good.” (F3G), a San Diego 501(c)3 non-profit established in 2010 with one simple goal: to collect unwanted fish from sport fishermen and distribute this nutritious product to local charities who serve it to San Diegans in need, whether that need originates from being elderly, homeless, jobless, or a military veteran.

Dedicated to the sport of fishing, the environment and the greater good, Bluechel proudly admits that F3G is San Diego’s only truly sustainable charity and America’s only sustainable fishing charity.

Since 2010, local fishermen returning to port after their trips at sea have had the option to donate their unwanted pelagic fish — including albacore, yellowfin, bluefin, wahoo, dorado, and yellowtail — to F3G, who then distribute it to local charities.

Returning boats are greeted at the docks by processing companies that fillet and vacuum seal the fishermen’s catch for a fee. One of those companies, 5-Star Processing, not only processes fish, they are also the exclusive processor for all the charities through F3G, and generously does so at a discounted rate.

Because F3G collects only sport-caught fish, there can be no financial gain or exchange of money between the fishermen, F3G, and the charities. F3G therefore receives all the fish for free and donates it to charities for free.

Charities currently receiving donated fish include Father Joe’s Villages, San Diego Rescue Mission, San Diego Food Bank, Samoa Independent, PATH Connections Housing, Urban Angels and Jewish Family Services.

Instead of having all their donated fish filleted by the processor, Father Joe’s receives a portion of the fish whole, instead of filleted — making it more than a meal — as the whole fish are used in Father Joe’s Culinary Arts Program, a unique, four-mont, on-site training program that offers long-term residents a chance to learn a trade that will allow them to once again become independent and self-sufficient members of society.

By receiving the fish whole, students have the opportunity to learn a fundamental skill — how to fillet a fish — which is essential in most of San Diego’s seafood restaurants. The fish prepared by these students is served to the thousands who dine at the facility every day.

“Generosity, such as that from Fish. Food. Feel Good. of their supply of fresh fish, truly makes a difference in a community,” said Sister Patricia Cruise, SC, President and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages. “F3G has helped thousands of its neighbors in need in the San Diego area. They recognize that everyone deserves to enjoy healthy food, and they help to provide those less fortunate an opportunity for a better life with healthy meals prepared with fresh fish.”

“We have had a very beneficial relationship with F3G for several years,” said Herb Johnson of the San Diego Rescue Mission. “It has been a source of high-quality, high-energy food that we would never have had access to or been able to afford on the open market.”

An environmental consultant in the areas of waste-to-energy and alternative green technologies, Bluechel is cognizant of the fact that solid waste landfills are filling up too fast. As a result, he created a partnership with local crab and lobster fishermen ensuring that all the organics left over from cleaning the fish are returned to the sea as bait for traps that additionally feed small fish and other critters.

Bluechel is eager to point out that sport fishermen are not the ones responsible for taking too many fish from the ocean. Of all the migratory pelagic fish caught, less than one percent are taken by sport fishermen; the remaining 99 percent are taken by commercial fishermen.

“Sport fishermen are, for the most part, defenders of fish populations, advocates for the sport of fishing, the clean outdoors and the enjoyment of catching their own meal,” Bluechel said.

Bluechel has been funding F3G himself, but relies on mutually beneficial partnerships, including one with 5-Star Processing.

“Fishing for Charity” is an annual one-and-a-half day fishing trip in the waters off of San Diego held by F3G to support their cause as well as Meals on Wheels.

For this year’s event held Aug. 6 – 8, Bluechel hooked up with San Diego Chargers’ defensive end Corey Liuget, who was joined aboard the Pacific Queen by teammate Damik Scafe and 30 other supporters. Brook Roberts, co-host from Fox Sports #SDLive and a cameraman were on hand to interview and film the event for a Fox Sports special.

At the end of the day, bragging rights were awarded to all supporters of the Fishing for Charity event because the Pacific Queen landed more fish than all the other boats combined, catching an impressive 83 yellowtail and 13 yellowfin tuna.

Enthusiastic fishermen in other states have emailed F3G, excited about the possibility of replicating F3G in their own hometowns, using the easy system Bluechel has created. Accepting this challenge, F3G hopes to one day feed one million Americans nationwide annually.

Individuals or corporations wishing to financially support this unique charity can find more information at f3g.org.

—Delle Willett has a 30-year history of designing, writing, and marketing. She is currently PR advisor to the American Society of Landscape Architects, San Diego chapter. She would love to hear from you and can be reached at [email protected].