The Fishermen

The United States has some of the strictest fisheries management in the world to help ensure environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, studies show that roughly 60-90 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported instead of sourced domestically. You can vote with your dollars to support local West Coast fishermen by choosing species like rockfish (rock cod), sablefish (black cod), petrale sole, dover sole, California halibut, and king salmon.

Scroll down to learn more about some of the crew we work with and the conservation story behind these local species.

Curt Meng
Captain/Fisherman

Boat: F/V Noah’s Ark
Dock: Moss Landing Harbor, Monterey Bay, California
Species: Groundfish (rock cod, sole, black cod, lingcod)

Curt is the captain of the FV Noah’s Ark. Born and raised in Eureka, he worked on a dock in high school and completed his first commercial fishing trip on a Groundfish trawler during his summer break of 11th grade. To this day, he continues to work on a trawling vessel.

Curt gained fishing experience quickly as a young man fishing on six different vessels before becoming a captain in 1980 — only one year after graduating high school. Curt has fished out of Astoria, Newport, Brookings, Eureka, and San Francisco, and now fishes for us out of Moss Landing Harbor in Monterey Bay. Dragging (aka trawling) has been his main stay but he also has experience shrimping and crabbing. 

He’s now been the captain of the Noah’s Ark for over 15 years and it’s been his favorite vessel to work on as it’s the largest allowing for more space onboard for fishing and for more comfort during rough seas. 

Each year, Noah’s Ark and Curt are contracted to support the National Marine Fisheries Groundfish Survey. This research trip helps scientists better understand Groundfish populations to update their models for more accurate and effective fisheries management. The scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) go on the boat collecting fish samples in different areas to capture data on fish size, sex, abundance, and more. 

“Fishing can get tough, but it’s a fun way to make a living and you get to work with some great guys. The ocean is a pretty great place. My wife says, when I get cranky, I need to go fishing.”

When asked what inspired him to get into fishing, one of the driving factors was because all the fishermen in town had brand new trucks and he wanted one too. Curt recalls getting sea sick on that first commercial fishing adventure and remembers being so happy to be back on the dock afterwards only to discover you can still feel seasick again once back on land. Regardless, it didn’t stop him and he still fishes for Groundfish to this day. 

Curt has been married for over 35 years and has two kids and three dogs. His son, Jared, is a fisherman too and part of his crew. Unsweetened iced tea is his staple drink he brings on every fishing trip and he abides by the superstition that it’s bad luck to to go out fishing on a Friday (although Lusamerica notes he’s had to break that rule a couple of times and they have not noticed too poor of a catch on those rare instances). Pan-fried Petrale sole is his favorite seafood dish and on fishing trips they like to prepare an oyster stew with creamy garlic broth, green onion, and curry powder.  Thanks for all your hard work, Curt!

Kris Davi
Crewmember/Fisherman

Boat: F/V Noah’s Ark
Dock: Moss Landing Harbor, Monterey Bay, California
Species: Groundfish (rock cod, sole, black cod, lingcod)

Kris Davi is a third generation fisherman from Eureka who grew up in the East Bay Area of San Francisco. His family used to fish for sardines and other species out of Monterey Bay making it special for him to return to the area to serve as crew on Noah’s Ark out of Moss Landing Harbor. Kris’ commercial fishing career has included fishing for salmon, shrimp, crab, groundfish, and tuna.

What Kris is currently listening to on his headphones:

“I have over 4,700 songs so I listen to a bit of everything. But right now, I’m on a bit of a Viking music kick listening to an artist called Iron Ragnar Vibes. Checkout the song North Takes All.”

Brian Kelley
Vessel Owner, Fisherman

Boat: F/V Miss Kelley 2 and F/V Verna Jean
Location: Fort Bragg, California
Species: Groundfish (rock cod, sole, black cod, lingcod)

Brian is a third-generation fisherman born and raised in Fort Bragg. He always wanted to be a fisherman as it was part of his family. Both of his grandfathers were groundfish fishermen and he recalls his Grandpa Gene picking him up after school where the two would join his dad and uncle fishing.

Brian’s father, Robert, was not only a fisherman but also a steelworker who built a total of thirteen fishing boats, including the two groundfish vessels catching for Lusamerica today.

Brian is married and has two daughters.

Dave Bischop
Fisherman, Captain

Boat: F/V Miss Kelley 2 and F/V Verna Jean
Location: Fort Bragg, California
Species: Groundfish (rock cod, sole, black cod, lingcod)

Dave is true born and raised local in Fort Bragg and he’s a seasoned groundfish fisherman. His father was a fisherman and Dave continued down the same path once he finished high school. Dave has experience fishing for Dungeness crab, pink shrimp, and groundfish like rock cod, sole and black cod.

“I like fishing for groundfish best because you can do it while still having time with your family.”

Some types of commercial fishing require you to be away from home for months at a time, but Dave takes his boats out for one to two-day trips out of Fort Bragg, which allows him to maintain quality time with his wife and two girls.

Fun Fact: They used to call him “Ice Man” in high school basketball because nothing ever rattled him and he always played it cool on the court. This skill proves valuable to this day when tasked with navigating stormy winter swells.

Frankie Cunningham (right) and Derek Giacalone (Left)
Fishermen

Boat: F/V Carley Diane
Location: Moss Landing Harbor, Monterey Bay, CA
Species: Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut, rock cod, sea bass

Frankie and Derek are a couple of 25-year-olds from Monterey that have been friends since seventh grade. Frankie is a fourth-generation fisherman who has been fishing his whole life. His dad didn’t have a babysitter so always brought him along fishing.

“I love the freedom of fishing. I like setting my own hours and working for myself. Plus the shit I get to see out there on the water is priceless.”

Derek is on the newer side of fishing and started when the pandemic hit. There weren’t many jobs available at the time and Frankie invited him to fish for salmon. Derek enjoyed it and has continued being Frankie’s right-hand-man into crabbing season and beyond.

The two fish together four to five days a week. Frankie’s favorite seafood dish is halibut while Derek’s favorite is his Nana’s vinegar anchovies.

Tai Huynh
Fisherman, Boat Owner

Boat: F/V Four Daughters & F/V Three Sons
Location: Monterey Bay (Moss Landing Harbor)
Species: King salmon, black cod, rockfish, grenadier

“In Vietnam, there were no jobs inland, so my father, uncle, brother, and I were all fishermen. I’ve spent my whole life fishing. I learned how to fish from my family when I was 13.”

After living in Vietnam, Tai Huynh and his family fled the communist regime and spent three hard years in a refugee camp in Hong Kong before making their way to America. “The camps were so crowded,” he recalls as he gazes at the long tin cannery style buildings by the dock, using it as a reference to explain the refugee camps filled with thousands of Vietnamese waiting for their asylum claims to be processed.

Finally, an American Catholic family sponsored Tai and his wife, and they only spent a short period in Chicago before moving to California. “Chicago was too cold and there was no fishing,” says Tai.

He’s lived in Moss Landing, CA since the early ’80s and has been fishing ever since. He owns and operates two fishing vessels: “Four Daughters” and “Three Sons”, the names of which reflect his family. Thank you, Tai, for supplying us with local black cod, salmon, rockfish and grenadier at our dock in Moss Landing Harbor located in Monterey Bay.