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Many California fishermen are nearing retirement. Can the industry save its graying fleet?

Shane Volberding, 27, operates a 25-foot panga boat near La Jolla, representing a rare new generation in California's fishing fleet where the average age is 48 and few captains entered the trade outside family connections.
Once dubbed the "Tuna Capital of the World," San Diego's commercial fishing industry has contracted sharply, with Theresa Talley, coastal specialist with California Sea Grant, reporting just 130 local commercial fishermen in a 2016 assessment.
Scripps introduced a "boot camp style" apprenticeship in 2020 to backfill declining ranks, with Talley coordinating training in navigation, safety, and engine repair through 1,000 hours of hands-on work with local fishermen.
A deckhand in San Diego earns about $15,000 to $50,000 net per year, which Peter Halmay, founder of the San Diego Fishermen's Working Group, calls insufficient for housing in one of the country's costliest cities.
Halmay argues that by sharing experiences and supporting each other, the remaining fleet can build ranks and maintain a resilient, sustainable food system with locally caught seafood as a vital component.

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