Local Ocean Dives Deep Into: The Seafood Paradox
Did you know? 90% of the seafood purchased and consumed on the Oregon Coast isn't from Oregon. That might sound shocking — especially since Oregon is home to some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world: Albacore tuna, Dungeness crab, pink shrimp, groundfish, and more.
So why don’t more coastal restaurants serve local catch? It’s not always about cutting corners, it’s often a supply chain issue.
Most of Oregon’s seafood is shipped out immediately for processing due to
A shortage of local processing facilities and skilled filleters
Limited freezer and cold storage space
Weak distribution systems that don’t serve local buyers
Because fish is so perishable, it moves fast, often away from the very communities where it was landed. That means we lose not just access to delicious, local seafood, but also economic opportunity.
Commercial Fisherman Brett Montague of F/V Jo El fishes for Chinook salmon and Pacific Albacore tuna. He prioritizes finding local buyers and keeping the fsih he works hard to catch in state. Much of his salmon and tuna is purchased directly by Local Ocean Seafoods.
How do we know this?
Siletz Valley School students who took the High School Seafood Butchery class work at the Central Coast Food Web seafood processing facility making fish skin dog treats for Local Ocean.
The gap in local seafood consumption costs Oregon’s coastal economy an estimated 252 million dollars each year. Just a 10 percent increase in local consumption could contribute 90 million dollars in new value and jobs. In 2021 alone, Oregon imported 105 million dollars worth of seafood, much of which replaced products that could have been caught, processed, and sold locally.
A 2022 study titled Oregon Coast Synthesized Seafood Distribution Chain Model Project by economists Hans Radtke and Shannon Davis outlines clear opportunities to reclaim that value. The study found that much of Oregon’s seafood is exported immediately after landing, while coastal restaurants and retailers often import fish from elsewhere. This creates a missed opportunity to build a more resilient and beneficial local supply chain.
“It’s really not anybody’s fault that it works this way,” said Oregon Coast Visitors Association’s Arica Hinz. “It’s simply economics. Fisher folks go out and catch fish. They don’t want to deal with multiple buyers, and it’s often difficult from a regulatory perspective to do that anyway, when they can simply sell everything they have to one large buyer and then go home, rest up, and go out fishing again. It’s our responsibility as a coastal business association to find ways to maximize the economic benefits to these communities.”
The Good News
Change is underway! The report recommends investment in cold storage, regional processing, and cooperative distribution to help keep Oregon’s seafood in Oregon.
Organizations like Oregon Ocean Cluster by The Oregon Coast Visitors Association are working to do just this. By strengthening this supply chain, the state can reduce the carbon footprint of its food system, create more living-wage jobs, and give entrepreneurs greater access to the raw ingredients they need to create high-value products.
Oregon Ocean Cluster’s High School Seafood Butchery program is in year two, and services 9 coastal area high schools, teaching students real job skills that they can apply right here on the coast.
Our friends at Central Coast Food Web have built an incredible processing facility and huge filet station, vacuum sealer, refrigeration, a smoker, commercial kitchen, and cold storage. This is where our Local Ocean team processes the local seafood we serve in our restaurant.
North Coast Food Web in Astoria and Wild Rivers Coast Food Trail in the South coast allow ways to purchase seafood directly from purveyors.
Port Orford Sustainable Seafood offers a Seafood CSF (community supported fisheries) delivery option across the state.
Our own neighbors, Chelsea Rose Seafood, sells fresh fish off their boat in the Newport harbor.
During Albacore season in the summertime, you can walk the docks and buy fresh tuna directly from the fishermen who caught it. See the Oregon Albacore Commission website for the fisherman directory so you can preorder.
How you can help
This summer, whether you are a local or visitor, please do your best to seek out restaurants, seafood markets, and commercial fishing docks that go the extra mile to serve you local, delicious Oregon seafood that supports coastal economies. Ask questions about sourcing when you pick up a menu, or better yet, before you make a reservation. Watch out for misleading marketing about fresh seafood in establishments that, in reality, serve majority imported or farmed fish. Just because the restaurant has an ocean or bay view, doesn’t mean the seafood on your plate is from that water. When shopping at a grocery store or fish market, ask to speak with the fishmonger or seafood department manager and have them point out which seafood is from Oregon.
learn more
The Oregon Ocean Cluster recently started up a newsletter all about how to source local seafood and what steps the organization is making to re-localize seafood in Oregon. Sign up, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Travel Oregon: Insider’s Guide to Oregon’s Local Seafood
Lincoln County Historical Society: Wild & Beautiful Oregon Fisheries
Planes passing in the night: Oregon exports seafood, then imports more for local restaurants