Greetings Real Good Fish Members.

My name is David Toriumi and I am one of the fishermen that has had my catch on your plate now for the past eight years. It is so rewarding to know that everything that I harvest is consumed by our local communities. From my family to yours, we thank you so much for supporting local fishers and being the key factor to the success of our business. Your membership is so important to the future of our industry because without you it would be impossible for a lot of small boat operators to make it through all the new challenges we are facing now and into the future.

As you may have heard, the crab season was delayed again this year. Some of the reasons this continues to happen is whale and turtle migration, domoic acid and quality control. I am the representative for the Monterey Bay Whale Working Group and our role is to evaluate all the factors that influence the migration of protected species so we can time our season opener when there is little to no risk to any of these animals. There are representatives from all ports in California who come together with State and Federal representatives, conservation groups and processors. These meetings help the Director of Fish and Wildlife to make a decision when to open and close the commercial and recreational crab season. Also known as the Risk Assessment Management Program.

The state of California is broken up into zones which allows us to open and close areas so that we can provide income to the commercial fleet in a timely matter. Soon the zone from Pigeon Point to Point Arena will open and join the Monterey Bay zone which started December 16th. The rest of the state got to start December 1st and as we've patiently waited we all recognized that this kind of stewardship is a leading example of our love for the ocean and all that inhabit it.

Finally I'd like to thank you all once again for being a part of the stepping stone that we all look forward to as we grow. Please visit your local port and spark a conversation with a fisher or processor. Make the connection! You'll be amazed by the stories and knowledge beyond the shore.