California Sea Grant Expands Commercial Fishing Training Program with Federal Funding

California Sea Grant has secured $126,582 in funding to extend its Commercial Fishing Apprenticeship Program from San Diego to central and northern California. The program addresses critical workforce challenges faced by the commercial fishing industry in California, where fleets are aging due to a lack of new entrants while the complexity of regulations is increasing. 

The program’s curriculum combines interactive shore-based learning with extensive hands-on experience, including safety and boating skills, fisheries science, policy and sustainability, business and marketing, and boat and gear maintenance. Apprentices complete approximately 120 hours of interactive workshops followed by 1,000 hours of paid on-the-job training alongside veteran commercial fishermen. The program will provide tuition-free workshop training for a dozen apprentices throughout the state and cover safety training for another 40 to 50 veteran fishermen.

"Our commercial fishing fleet is essential to California's coastal economy and food security," says Theresa Sinicrope Talley, a California Sea Grant Extension Specialist. "By partnering with local maritime educators and experienced fishermen, we're creating pathways for the next generation to enter this vital profession while promoting sustainable fishing practices and strengthening local food systems." The new funding is part of a $987,361 national NOAA’s Young Fishermen's Career Development initiative by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supporting four projects across the country. 

Beyond training of new people entering fishing, the program aims to more broadly strengthen the resilience of fishing communities by fostering connections among the new entrants and veteran fishers, and supporting the existing fleet by offering safety and advanced marketing instruction.