12 Reasons
Why Everyone Should Buy Local San Diego Seafood
Jason Houston Photography
#1
Quality
Nothing beats the taste of freshly caught fish! Imported seafood products must travel long distances to get to your plate. And in that time, the quality drastically diminishes. If you want the best flavor and nutrition out of your seafood, fresh local products are your best option.
Jason Houston Photography
#2
Sustainability
In order to maintain a healthy marine ecosystem, California has the strictest regulations for commercial fishing in the world. And our fishermen are proud to adhere to these rules! Without them, we could overfish our waters, leading to massive disruptions in both our environment and food supply. Purchasing locally helps support these sustainable practices and reduces the amount of unethically sourced seafood products in our diet.
Jason Houston Photography
Strengthen the
supply chain
#3
As we learned during the pandemic, supply chains are complex and fragile systems that are vulnerable to disruption from a number of societal and economic factors. Buying directly from local fishermen helps to reduce these risks by shortening and strengthening the supply chain to its simplest form – producer to consumer.
Jason Houston Photography
Support the
local economy
#4
Sadly, only 8% of San Diego’s seafood products are sourced locally, meaning that our dollars are predominantly bolstering external economies. But despite that figure, thousands of jobs are supported by the San Diego seafood industry. So when you buy directly from our local fishing community, you can take pride in knowing that your money is being spent maintaining jobs and livelihoods for our fellow San Diegans.
#5
Climate Friendly
Today, the majority of seafood products in our grocery stores and restaurants are sourced internationally – think Central & South America, Asia, & Europe. These products often travel thousands of miles to get to our consumers, burning a lot of gasoline on the way. To help reduce the carbon footprint of the fishing industry, we should all try buying from our local fishermen.
Jason Houston Photography
environmentally Friendly
#6
Fishermen have an intimate relationship with our marine ecosystems and are often the first to notice environmental shifts. Because of their vested interest in conserving our ocean resources, our local fishing community is committed to and takes pride in maintaining the long-term health of marine wildlife and ecosystems through sustainable fishing practices.
Jason Houston Photography
#7
Traceability
When you buy seafood from a grocery store or even most fish markets, you don’t know where the fish came from, who caught it, how it got there, how fresh it is, if it was caught ethically, or who your dollars are supporting. When you purchase directly from your local fishermen, you will be able to answer all of these important questions.
#8
Variety
Did you know that there are over 100 wild harvested species that are landed in San Diego County? And each one has different characteristics, seasonality, and flavor. Ditch the grocery store’s minimal options and expand your seafood horizons by exploring this week’s fresh local catch.
#9
price
The price of seafood depends on many factors, including travel mileage from the source, competitive supply and demand, and costs for processing, packaging, storage, distribution and delivery. When you buy directly from the local San Diego fishermen community, you help cut out unnecessary middlemen and minimize the overall cost of the product.
Jason Houston Photography
#10
Convenience
Purchasing local seafood is as easy as going to the grocery store. There are tons of excellent storefront locations with huge assortments of freshly caught seafood, and even waterside markets where you can buy the fish directly from fishermen only hours after they've been caught. Whole and pre-cut products are available, so taking home some ready-to-cook seafood is a breeze.
Jason Houston Photography
FAIR LABOR PRACTICES
#11
The United States, and California in particular, has some of the strictest labor laws and most ethical and fair practices in the world. Because of this, purchasing from our local producers ensures that the fish on your plate is harvested using the highest standards possible. The same cannot be said for all imported seafood products, so be sure to support these principled practices by getting your fish from a local source.
San Diego History Center
#12
Heritage
The history of fishing around the world dates back thousands of years and San Diego is no exception. Fishermen are hardworking, humble, community-focused workers, and the fishing lifestyle is packed with unique challenges and dangers. Commercial fishing is a core part of our city’s culture and history, and we as San Diegans must work to preserve and learn to appreciate it for all it offers our Seaside community.