Meet the Fishermen: Early Registration is Open!

With over 30 years on the water, James Strait has dedicated his life to fishing the California coast. Raised in San Diego for the past 40 years, he got his start as a young kid working on sport boats before serving in the military. After his service, he returned to the sea—this time as a commercial fisherman. Throughout his career, James has fished for everything from lobster and spot prawn shrimp to mackerel, tuna, and yellowtail. But if you ask him, his favorite catches will always be white seabass and sand dabs. A lifelong waterman with deep roots in the local fishing community, James takes pride in providing fresh, sustainable seafood straight from the source.

Howie is a next-generation fisherman based out of North County. He serves on the advisory committee at Local Fish and is committed to creating change within the industry. Read our interview with Howie here.

Born and raised on the coast of Orange County, Eric Z has been immersed in the fishing industry since childhood. At just six years old, he got his start working on sportfishing boats, and when he wasn’t on the water, he spent his summers helping out at a local fish market right across from his grandma’s house. After high school, Eric took on a full-time role at the market while working through school. It was there that he saw firsthand how imported seafood dominated the shelves, often at the expense of fresher, locally caught options. Frustrated by the demand for low-quality imports, he made the jump into commercial fishing, balancing his time between the docks and the fish counter. Now, as the captain of F/V Ike Jime, Eric is dedicated to bringing high-quality, local seafood straight from California waters to chefs, restaurants, and consumers who care about sourcing transparency and sustainability.