About CFRA
As offshore wind development has evolved in California over the years, state agencies have repeatedly asked that California's commercial fishermen unify. In 2022, fishermen from the Oregon border to Santa Barbara came together to form the California Fishermen's Resiliency Association.
The California Fishermen's Resiliency Association:
-
Was Formed with Redwood Coast Energy Authority grant support
-
Is primarily funded by the Ocean Protection Council, a cabinet-level agency
-
Has received additional funding from:
-
South Bay Cable Fisheries Fund
-
Central Coast Commercial Fishing Industry Improvement Fund
-
-
Is governed by a Board of Directors with members from Crescent City to San Francisco
-
Is a 501 (c) (6) Mutual Benefit Corporation
-
Focuses on preventing, minimizing, and mitigating for the following:
-
Offshore wind development
-
Wave energy
-
Oil, gas, and mineral mining,
-
Energy and data transmission cables
-
Spatial challenges to fishing grounds access
-
Ecological and environmental concerns impacting fisheries
-
Zoning and port infrastructure preservation
-
Our History
2015
Central Coast Commercial Fishing Associations Engage
​
2017
Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association (HFMA) Engages Locally
​
2018
HFMA/Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), MOU, Federal & State Meetings
​
2019
North Coast Mapping Project
​
2022
Formation of CRFA
​
2023
Formation of 7c Working Group
Jake Mitchell
Board President
Jake Mitchell is a founding Board member and current president of the California Fishermens Resiliency Association and co-founder of the Shelter Cove Fishing Preservation Inc. a 501(C)(3)
Jake Mitchell is a 3rd generation commercial fishermen. He is the founder, owner, and manager of Seahawk Sportfishing, an independent recreational/charter business in Shelter Cove, California.
RB Pincombe
Board Vice President
RB Pincombe is a founding board member and serves as Vice President of the California Fisherman’s Resiliency Association (CFRA) and President of the Crescent City Commercial Fishermen’s Association.
He holds a 100-Ton Master Captain’s License as a dual-boat owner and commercial fisherman and has over twenty years of experience in the commercial fishing industry, primarily in the fisheries of Dungeness Crab and Bottom Trawl Pink Shrimp. He also has experience with commercial salmon and tuna.
Laura Miller
Board Treasurer
Laura serves as an alternate board member of the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association and has served as a board member of the Salmon Trollers Marketing Association in Noyo Harbor since 2015.
Laura started commercial fishing in 2002 as a sea urchin tender for Rich Holmes on the F/V Oviraptor and the two invested in a salmon troller, the F/V Animal Fair, in 2003.
They started self-marketing their salmon in 2005 and developed a strong local following. While they’re happiest fishing for chinook salmon, Laura and Rich have participated in a number of fisheries over the years, including red sea urchin, nearshore rockfish, sablefish, and hagfish.
Laura has also participated in the Coastal Salmonid Monitoring Project in Mendocino County watersheds as a field technician, helping to collect data on local wild salmon populations.
John Barnett
Board Member
John Barnett is a founding board member of the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association, currently serves as President of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association and served two terms on the Dungeness Crab Task Force
John Barnett is a third generation commercial fishermen and boat captain with over 40 years of experience in salmon, bass, halibut, tuna, crab fishing and more.
Richard (Dick) Ogg
Board Member
Richard (Dick) Ogg is a founding member of the California Fisherman’s Resiliency Association (CFRA) and is the President of the Bodega Bay Fishermans Marketing Association. Ogg also serves on numerous committees that support west coast fisheries such as the Dungeness Crab Task Force, the Dungeness Crab Gear Working Group, and more. Dick is a commercial fisherman and has been in Sonoma County for over 62 years. His objective is to support the environment while maintaining a viable, sustainable fishery that serves as a public resource.
“I began my fishing career with my grandfather in Oklahoma, who was a member of the Ponca tribe. He helped me gain a better understanding of nature's process and at age 6 helped set me on my path to become a fisherman.”
Tony Cannia
Board Member
Tony Cannia comes from multiple generations of Italian fishermen, including his extended family still in Sicily. Both his father and grandfather grew up fishing. Tony’s California fishing experience, spanning 43 years, includes salmon trolling, crab, albacore and trawl fisheries. His captaining experience includes the “Seaworthy”, “Caito Brothers”, “Donna J”, “Sea Princess” “Marilee” and most recently the “Fish Wish”.
In between fishing seasons, Tony and his wife Marilee raised two kids, Don and Alisa, and now have four grandkids.
Tony is a founding member of the CFRA and also serves as President of Salmon Trollers Marketing Association of the Port of Noyo.
Curtis Wilson
Board Member
Curtis (Curt) Wilson is a first-generation fisherman and has been fishing his entire adult life. He fishes for crab during the commercial season during the winter, and provides charter fishing during the summer on his boat, the WindRose. Curt is a founding member of the California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association.
