Welcome to
Common Seas

Not too long ago, Abalone was synonymous with San Diego seafood. For generations, popping abalone off the ocean floor was a rite of passage for locals. They’d be sliced, pounded, fried and enjoyed for their sweet and tender meat. Restaurants served abalone steaks and commercial fishermen landed countless pounds of local abalone along the California

At Local Fish we spend A LOT of time thinking and talking about seafood and one thing we’ve observed over the years is that consumers are creatures of habit when it comes to making choices. Most people go with what they know because let’s be honest, picking a piece of fish out of a case

After connecting with Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI) a few months back, we instantly knew that we wanted to find a way to work together. ODI is an incredible non-profit organization based here in San Diego that creates learning experiences for young people traditionally excluded from science due to race, income status and educational opportunity. With

Fresh local rockfish gets a Mediterranean-inspired treatment in these herby köfte (meatballs), seasoned with cumin, lemon, dill, parsley, and mint. Serve them alongside cool cucumber tzatziki and a bright chickpea salad with cherry tomatoes and shaved red onion for a fresh, satisfying meal. Ready in: About 30 minutesMakes: 4 servings Ingredients For the Rockfish Köfte

After sitting at the helm of the hyper-local Cellar Hand, Chef Ashley McBrady is now running the kitchen at MAKE Projects. Ashley is a huge supporter of local seafood and our amazing community of fishermen here in San Diego. We got to sit down with her to learn a little bit more about how she

For today’s local seafood aficionado it may be hard to believe that San Diego was once known as the “Tuna Capital of the World.” In the 1940s tuna was one of San Diego’s biggest industries. It is estimated that a whopping 95% of US canned tuna was processed right here in San Diego.  Massive boats

Six San Diego Restaurants Where You Can Eat Local Fish Right Now People are constantly asking us how they can support local fish when they don’t feel like cooking. The answer is easy, pick a restaurant that prioritizes putting local catch on the plate. We are delighted that so many restaurants support local and you

We’re in an El Niño System. What could that mean for San Diego’s Fishing Community? If you’ve lived in San Diego long enough, you’ve probably made it through an “El Niño” or two. While an El Niño system impacts the entire globe, it is measured by surface temperatures of the Pacific and ocean atmospheric conditions,

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met June 12–17, 2026 and if you fish groundfish or sablefish, a few things just changed that affect what you can legally bring in per trip. Here’s what matters for San Diego fishermen, no jargon, just the numbers. The official document with the Decision Summary is here. The big picture

Everything you need to legally sell fish commercially in California, from your first license to the two things that stall most fishermen right before a sale.

Paper logbooks get the job done, but they also mean filling out pages by hand on the water, keeping track of carbon copies, and remembering to mail everything in before the deadline. It’s one more thing to manage during an already busy trip, and it’s easy for paperwork to get delayed or misplaced. If you’d

Frying a whole fish is one of those easy and impressive methods that wows diners with very minimal effort. A hot crispy, perfectly-salted skin yields to a sweet, moist and flaky flesh. In this recipe a zesty, herby sauce cuts through the richness of the fried fish. Use this method for just about any whole,