From Boat to Table

HALF MOON BAY-Commercial anglers are on board with the progressive concept of hosting a fish market directly from their boats to sell their most recent catches.     A small city 40 minutes south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, is one harbor that has begun to capitalize on this innovative fish market concept. These devoted, sea-loving anglers and customers are quickly becoming the reason for the Bay area’s growing patronage of locally sourced seafood. In addition, the support for the markets has allowed vendors to pave the pathway to sustainability.     Buyers are now able to wait on the docks while anglers sell them the catches they caught only hours before, directly from their boats. Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo County has crowds of customers lining their docks, waiting to purchase the seafood they know and trust.    The off-the-boat market has become a great way to supplement the fisher’s incomes when commercial sales are slow.   Jim Pruett is the General Manager of the San Mateo Harbor District. “When the price of fish wasn’t high, and there wasn’t a commercial market, the harbor district started working with the fishermen to allow off-the-boat sales,” said Pruett. “They’re commercial fishermen and not just simply weekend anglers; you have...