Fishing for oceanic solutions
Skewers holding 3-inch grilled prawns disappeared from the serving platters only slightly faster than the crab-stuffed mushrooms and cream cheese salmon pastries. Yet the dwindling supply of party snacks wasn’t even a small part of the event to discuss sustainable seafood.
The movement to eat seafood that is abundant or responsibly caught or farmed was the topic du jour at ExplorOcean in Newport Beach on Sunday as the nonprofit center celebrated World Oceans Day. The Simply Sustainable Seafood Fest drew about 40 patrons for an interactive panel discussion on issues related to the long-range future of commercial fishing and Pacific Ocean ecosystems.
“It gives us a great opportunity to showcase what we’re doing,” said Wendy Marshall, ExplorOcean’s educational director.
“Folks came for sustainable seafood. Maybe they were interested in recipes or knowing a little bit more about their food choices,” Marshall continued, “but along the way we can also tell our story about what we’re doing.”
The ocean literacy center was known for 27 years as the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum. Rebranded as ExplorOcean in 2013, it remains on the harbor in the heart of the Balboa Peninsula. The newly refurbished center operates to educate visitors about environmental threats, challenges and solutions to oceanic problems.
The center has a curriculum geared toward elementary and middle school students, yet it’s also engaging for adults. Marshall recently launched the EcoTech program, which is designed to promote ocean health through emerging technology. On Saturday, the center is set to introduce its new Innovation Lab during A Day of Making, scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m.
“Our mantra is we don’t just tell it, you do it,” Marshall said.
“We actually make the folks do the hands-on experiences, and once folks see what kids get to do with us, they’re hooked.”
Along with Marshall, the panel discussion featured Debbie Johnson, director of Catalina Sea Ranch, with her perspective on farm-raised seafood. Johnson explained that many varieties of shellfish once under threat in Pacific coastal waters have been revitalized through relatively recent conservation efforts. As an example, she flashed a slide showing a sea scallop the size of a cannon ball.
Panelist Terese Pearson discussed challenges faced by her local family seafood business. Pearson’s Port is the stand-alone fresh fish shack under the East Coast Highway overpass at the mouth of the Back Bay. Pearson’s has been in continuous operation since 1971, with a fleet of up to a dozen boats delivering fresh catch every day.
“Fishing has definitely changed through the years. The way that we fish has changed,” Pearson said.
“I would say as far as environmentalism goes, that has gone over the top a little bit. Or a lot,” she added, noting the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed or restricted commercial fishing in critical areas off the Southern California coast.
“We believe heavily in the kind of gear we need to use to be efficient and sustainable,” Pearson explained. “We do believe in seasons, we do believe in size limits. They have proven to work throughout the years. Area closures have never been proven to work, so we are definitely against that one.”
The sustainability of the ExplorOcean center itself seems secure. The organization owns the almost 2 acres of waterfront land, including the boardwalk and beach, at its prime location. Operations are funded in part by the leases the nonprofit owns for the Fun Zone amusement rides.
“We’re going to take the resource of the community and focus it through the lens of ExploreOcean,” said CEO Tom Pollack, “and out the other side comes something everyone’s going to enjoy.”