Interview with Pete Halmay
Posted on October 21, 2025 by Local Fish
Conducted by Kate, Program Operations Manager at Get Local Fish
Reviewed by Pete on 9/30/25
Early Years and Vessels
Kate: Do you have a business name?
Pete: No. Just Peter Halmay.
Kate: And the name of your vessel?
Pete: It’s called the MOTI — M-O-T-I.
Kate: How many years have you been fishing in San Diego?
Pete: I came to San Diego in 1976.
Kate: What’s the story of your fishing vessels over the years?
Pete: I’ve had about six or seven boats since then. I started with a little skiff. I actually began fishing in 1970, first out of Avalon on Catalina Island, and then came down to San Diego in ’76. Most of my boats have been dive boats. Aside from a few ventures into lobster or rockfish, I’ve spent most of the last 50-plus years diving. I started with abalone until 1976, and then switched exclusively to sea urchins.
Life as a Diver
Kate: What’s your favorite thing about fishing?
Pete: That I don’t have to deal with people. Diving is different from other forms of fishing. It’s silent. You earn what you pick yourself. The boat doesn’t make money, the crew doesn’t make money—you do. At the end of your hose, it’s just you and the environment. After 50 years, I still enjoy diving. I still see new things, or new arrangements of familiar things.
Kate: Do you fish for anything besides sea urchins?
Pete: No. I don’t even allow fishhooks on my boat. I stepped on a fishhook 20 years ago. Ever since then, anyone bringing one aboard gets kicked off.
Kate: How often do you usually dive?
Pete: Until recently, I worked 100–180 days a year, but I stopped diving a few months ago due to cancer. I hope to return once I heal.
Memorable Experiences
Kate: Do you have a favorite or most memorable diving day?
Pete: People always want shark stories, but the truth is, the environment itself is the memory. Whether it’s a seal, a shark, or even an anchovy, I’m in their environment. They’re all better swimmers than I am. For me, the freedom starts as soon as I untie the boat. I leave behind the crowds on land and even the crew when I dive. It’s peace in a constantly changing environment.
I once joked at a conference when a speaker gave some “meditation” metaphor. My friend turned to me and said, ‘Pete, you do the same thing—you call it diving.’ He was right. Diving is my escape. That’s where I’m happiest.
Challenges in the Industry
Kate: What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an urchin diver?
Pete: Personally, I can manage. But as a fleet, the challenge is a lack of cooperation. Instead of working together, each fisherman runs his own company and competes for the same small customer base. This limits us. It’s not efficient to have 50 trucks, 50 ice machines, and 50 hoists when one could be shared. But equitable sharing is hard, so people avoid it.
Kate: Is that how Dockside Market began—replacing the middleman?
Pete: Exactly. Tuna Harbor Dockside Market was one attempt. My son and another fisherman’s son started it, and I helped. The idea was for fishermen to sell directly to consumers. We even worked to pass the “Pacific to Plate” law so fishermen’s markets would be legally recognized. But in ten years, only two others have opened in California.
The bigger issue is access to resources. Quotas are shrinking, marine protected areas are expanding, and new uses like wind farms threaten fishing grounds. Less access to fish, fewer permits—it all makes cooperation more necessary.
Market Realities
Pete: Restaurants mostly care about price. Only a few buy local fish. Competition among fishermen means one’s gain is often another’s loss. It’s a zero-sum game. That’s why I argue for community-based marketing, not just individual direct sales.
Quality is also critical with sea urchins. You’re selling the gonads. If they’re empty, you’ve got nothing. In a commodity market, you could get by with some bad ones. In direct sales, every urchin must be good.
Closing Reflections
Kate: Thank you, Pete. It’s so important to share stories like yours with the community. Would it be okay if I run the interview by you before publishing?
Pete: Absolutely. I’ve dealt with newspapers that tried to make me look foolish. I’d like to see how it’s presented first.
Kate: Of course. I’ll send it to you before posting. Thank you again for your time, and I wish you a healthy recovery and a return to diving soon.
Pete: That’s what everyone around me wishes too. Maybe I’ll act more human then.
Kate: (laughs) Take care, Pete.
Pete: Thank you. Bye.
