About the San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group
The San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group (SDFWG) is a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Founded in 2011, it seeks to provide a unified voice for the San Diego region’s commercial fishermen. The term “fisherman” is used to refer to our fishing women and men.
Seeking to connect fishermen with their community, its mission statement is:
To squarely place in the public’s mind the importance of commercial fishing to food security, and to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the greater San Diego region.
The SDFWG is managed by a nine-person board of directors, who represent the nine major fisheries by gear type in the area. This includes trap, dive, long-line, experimental, hook and line, bait purse-seine, net, albacore bait and commercial launch ramp. The region’s approximately 150 commercial fishing vessels are represented through this board. Species caught by the various gear types include bluefin, yellow fin and albacore tuna; sea urchin; spiny lobster; swordfish; anchovy; sheepshead; opah; many species of rockfish; California halibut; and crab, among others.
Board of Director nominations and elections are held every two years.
In addition to communicating its positions on state and federal fishery issues and legislation, the SDFWG has worked closely with the San Diego Port District and the California Coastal Commission as the Port revises its master plan, to ensure that commercial fishing infrastructure is preserved, if not enhanced.
The SDFWG is a supporting member of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association.
SDFWG Board President Pete Halmay may be reached at peterhalmay@gmail.com.