Fishermen celebrated at Santa Barbara Harbor and Seafood Festival

Local fisherman and the bounty from the Santa Barbara Channel were celebrated Saturday at the 16th annual Harbor and Seafood Festival.

Hundreds of people packed the Santa Barbara Harbor to celebrate and feast on sea urchin, crab, fresh fish and lobster.

The event coincides with the opening of the commercial lobster season.
People also got the opportunity to meet fishermen face to face and learn just how hard the job can be.

Kimberly Selkoe, Executive Director for Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara said fewer people are choosing the ocean for the careers.

“It get harder and harder to make a living fishing in the water,” Selkoe said. “Our average age of fishermen in California is 65, so its a dying breed and we’re doing what we can to get new young folks interested in commercial fishing and support them getting permits and getting boats.”

If you missed out on Saturday’s festivites, there is a fishermen’s market at the harbor every Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For more information about the Santa Barbara Harbor and Seafood Festival, click here.