Want to Meet In Real Life? See You At the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle!

woman in fashion turban and scarf in front of Seattle Public Market

Let’s Meet at the ’22 Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle!

Thanks to you, I am honored and grateful to represent our special POCF community at the Pacific Marine Expo on November 17th, 2022! THIS WOULD NOT BE “A THING” WITHOUT YOU, YOUR EMAILS, COMMENTS, AND SUPPORT TO YOUR FELLOW POCFS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE!

I can’t even begin to express how much I appreciate you. By being here, we’ve created a safe space for POCFs to connect with others from across the globe who “get it” and, in turn, have given me a dream job. I can’t thank you enough for your support and love, and I’m excited to keep building a corner of the Internet just for us to hang out, feel empowered, and remind each other that although our situations are different, we are not alone. WE GOT THIS!

I’ll be on a panel with three other writers from National Fisherman (including fellow POCF and photographer Bri Dwyer!) to discuss our view of the industry. I’m a little nervous about taking the stage, but what anchors me is this: I may not represent every experience of a partner of a commercial fisherman, but I am humbled to hold a space for POCFs to connect and share our voices. πŸ’™

On that note, I’d love to hear your opinion on the event below! If there’s something you’d like for me to address, voice, research, or cover in National Fisherman, please email me at meganwaldrep@icloud.com. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you can make it!

A Peek into the Wheelhouse: The Voices and Perspectives of National Fisherman

As the only publication dedicated to the entire U.S. commercial fishing industry, National Fisherman exclusively features the news, insights, and updates that matter most to fishermen across the country. Being able to do so is on account of the various writers and contributors that define the articles, photos, and perspectives in print and online. What are some of the biggest changes NF writers and contributors have seen in their coverage? Are there specific topics they haven’t been able to explore properly? What developments are they looking forward to seeing take shape in 2023 and beyond?

Join a panel of National Fisherman writers and contributors to explore all of these questions and more. Members of the audience will be encouraged to ask questions of the panel but also connect individually with the people covering and promoting the commercial fishing industry like no other.

This session will take place on day 1 of PME, November 17th, 2022, from 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM on the Main Stage.

My First Trip to the Pacific Marine Expo Went Like This

I think back to the first and only PME I ever attended with Chris. It was 2016, the beginning of our second year together, and my first time being around more commercial fishermen than a dinner table could fit. (more…)

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Commercial Fishing to Fine Cuisine: Wild Fish in Pacific Grove, California

Hard to believe that most restaurants in the U.S. (even fine dining!) do not use local or even domestic seafood, though as POCFs, we know why. The Asian market demands it, and we’re happy to sell our harvest for a premium when possible to whoever will buy it to sustain our life.
However, a chef that cherishes seafood as much as you do turns a somewhat faceless market into a delicious reward for your loved one’s hard labor. Pull up a chair to Wild Fish, a fine dining restaurant in Pacific Grove, California (near the Monterey Bay Aquarium!) that celebrates fishermen by not only purchasing seafood and putting their names on the menu, too!

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Diary: First Day of Fishing Season Blues & How To Beat Them

The season has started, and Chris and I are passing ships in the night; half-asleep kisses are our only real connection. (Basically, by the time you’ve read this sentence, we will have communicated more than Chris and I in the last 48 hours, and we live in the same house.)

Although the spiny lobster fishery is local – compared to a very long distance when he fishes Bristol Bay, Alaska – the rush of a season creates a strange detachment that makes you feel miles apart even when you’re sleeping inches away. Can you relate?

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