Interesting article. And as i understand it, Pier 45 is the largest and most modern fish-processing operation in the country. You wouldn't know it as it's invisible in the sea of schlock that is Fisherman's Wharf.
I think San Francisco has lost a bet by catering to the lowest common denominator at the Wharf.
And don't get me started on high-end retail and Union Square. ☹️
By Patrick Hoge | Examiner staff writer | Dec 26, 2024
The recent postponing of the 2024 commercial crab season off the central California coast — now set to open with catch restrictions on Jan. 5 — highlighted anew how vital it has been for the Water2Table Fish Co. on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf to remain flexible.
Being adaptable is essential given Water2Table’s mission of buying seasonal, sustainably harvested fish pulled from the waters off the California coast by a stable of 15 to 20 small-boat operators, said Joe Conte, who founded the business with his wife in 2011.
“It’s a very dynamic business,” Conte said. “We’re dealing with a wild product and getting it into people’s homes and restaurants. It’d be like somebody placing a meat order, and the vendor has to go out and shoot it.”
So, while Dungeness crab season has been delayed in recent years to prevent migrating whales from becoming entangled in fishing gear, Conte says he keeps afloat selling numerous other types of fish, including rock and black cod, sand dabs, squid and petrale sole, which are largely brought to him by fisherfolk operating between Monterey Bay and Crescent City.
Conte has also diversified his client base, developing a direct-to-customer delivery channel in response to the COVID-19 lockdown that temporarily caused his restaurant orders to evaporate.
And in the spring, Conte says he expects to add another line of business with the opening of Nopa Fish, a combined restaurant and seafood market in the Ferry Building that Conte will supply with fish.
That’s not to say that Conte isn’t waiting with bated breath like other local fish mongers for the iconic crab season to begin.
Winter is typically the slow time of year for fishing in Northern California, and Conte says his 10-person company already took a big hit in the spring when regulators canceled the salmon-fishing season for a second year, thus eliminating a typical 20% to 30% bump in revenue for Conte.
But Conte says the thesis that prompted him to leave the restaurant-management business after 25 years to focus on sourcing California fish in the first place still holds true: There is a lot of top-quality seafood off the state’s coast that has been historically overlooked, and on that, his company continues to survive.
SF firm specializes in the freshest California fish caught via small boats
Greg