San Luis Obispo Sustainable Fisheries Support

In 2006, the commercial fishing industry in San Luis Obispo County had been hard hit economically as a result of dramatic changes in government regulations and market forces. Increased competition from abroad and new regulations at home, including no-trawl fishing zones and the creation of marine protected areas, combined to threaten the future viability of the region’s fishing industry. In response, the Morro Bay and Port San Luis harbor departments, and the commercial fishermen that rely on their waterfronts, requested funding from the Coastal Conservancy and the Ocean Protection Council to assist them to transition to a more financially and environmentally sustainable future.

OPC provided a grant of $130,000 to the City of Morro Bay to prepare a business plan, develop and implement a marketing plan, and build and conduct sea trials of innovative low impact fishing gear to support the commercial fishing industry and revitalize harbors in San Luis Obispo County.

Morro Bay and Port San Luis Commercial Fisheries Business Plan (March 2008)

Related Projects

• Morro Bay Ecosystem Based Management Program
• The Central Coast Groundfish Project