Soon customers will be able to get their crab straight from the source.
The city’s Port Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a resolution that would allow fishing boats to sell live, whole Dungeness crabs straight to consumers while at the wharf.
"It's a historical thing at Fisherman’s Wharf to buy fish off the boats," said Dominic Moreno, with the port’s maritime division, during a presentation of the proposal during the commission’s Oct. 26 meeting. “People like to get to know the people that provide them their food. It's important they're able to come down and meet and get to know their local fishermen.”
The program will begin on a year-long pilot basis when the next commercial crabbing season begins. The season typically starts on Nov. 15, but has been delayed due to concerns from the Department of Fish and Wildlife over the increased presence of whales and sea turtles spotted in fishing areas.
According to department officials, the lines used by commercial crabbers could potentially put these endangered animals at risk.
Along with the pilot program, the commission also approved a permanent program for retail fish sales from boats to customers while docked at the port.
Both programs are intended to stimulate engagement and economic prospects at the port, by attracting and retaining more business to the area, according to documents provided at the meeting.
More opportunities for economic growth at the port are sorely needed. "The port lost more than 40% of its revenues due to COVID-19," said Port Commission Executive Director Elaine Forbes at Tuesday’s meeting.
The port was facing a budget cut by half, but is now on the hook to receive millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding, the first installment of $60 million expected in December.
Although the retail fish and crab sale measures passed unanimously on Tuesday, the proposals were met with some opposition during the Oct. 26 meeting.
Angela Cincotta, co-owner of Alioto-Lazio Fish Co., cited several reasons for not supporting the program, such as health and safety, which she alleged no oversight was done to monitor what, and how, product was sold.
She also said the programs creates an advantage for boat sellers over brick and mortar sellers like her company.
"The port is creating an unfair business competition," she said. "Once a boat becomes a direct seller, this boat now becomes a brick and mortar business just like all of ours." But different rules, and fees, apply to both business models, she said.
But others pointed out that San Francisco is one of the only ports in the state that doesn’t already allow the sale of fish and crab from boats.
"I'm not sure I would take advantage of selling crabs off my boat, but I do believe that we should be able to do it," said John Barnett, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association. "We're the only port pretty much on the coast here that can't, and it's crazy that boats would leave here and go to another port to sell crabs."
"I do believe it's going to enhance all the other businesses around," he said.
The pilot crab program will be tracked by the Port Commission for a year, and any additional adjustments or guidance will be made based on the results in October 2022.
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