Small Fish Make a Big Impact

It’s before 8 am on Saturday morning, and there’s already a sea of people flooding Seaport Village’s Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. This once-a-week marketplace is where local fishermen sell their catch directly to consumers and restaurants alike. For those interested in sourcing local and full transparency when it comes to seafood, it doesn’t get any better than this. Regulars line up well before the official start time with coolers in tow like superfans waiting for their favorite band to play. 

From Dock to Table

There’s a stand selling portioned cuts of fresh fish to my left and a giant boat to my right where whole tunas are being broken down with large knives before a captive audience of hungry customers. Their deep cherry-red flesh revealed a thick layer of silvery skin with every slice, and everything is shimmering beneath the burning cloud cover. The smell of fish is circulating, but not off-putting.

At the very end of the dock, surrounded by schools of hungry customers, is Shane’s Seafood. It’s an unassuming stand with one of the longest lines on the dock where glistening Pacific and Spanish mackerel are gently set atop freshly crushed ice, their silvery skin sparkling in the muted sun. As quickly as they are pulled out of their coolers of slushed saltwater and placed on the ice, they are sold.  

People are crammed in waiting for their turn to buy. The couple ahead of me has their eye on a whole yellowtail, and the person in front of them buys it before they get the chance. It’s the last one. Small-boat fisherman Shane Volberding wears a hat and dark sunglasses, and maintains the kind of cool focus I imagine one must keep when hundreds of people are focused solely on you. It’s a rockstar kind of energy. He weighs the fish and collects payment while his friend packs and restocks the fish. 

Reimagining Common Species

With this kind of attention, you would think Shane is selling San Diego’s most exclusive, high-end catches like spot prawn, spiny lobster, or bluefin tuna. Instead, he sells some of the most abundant species in the sea, mackerel and sardines, widely considered to be “bait fish” and mostly overlooked. The secret is he treats them right and the result is a product unlike any other on the market. 

Beyond the incredible feat of “rebranding” the commonly disregarded bait fish of San Diego County and bringing an ultra-premium product to market, Shane’s catch is about as sustainable as it gets. He doesn’t need to travel very far, fishing on average a half mile to six miles offshore on a 25-foot Panga, which means limited fuel expenditure and carbon footprint. These small fish are abundant and at no risk for being overfished. And given their size, they are a low risk for being high in heavy metals, while being highly nutrient dense and full of good fats. 

Fish Treated Right 

“It’s a smaller fish and small fish don’t last as long as big fish. Mackerel is a very oily, very fatty fish. They degrade faster than a sea bass or a yellowtail.” Shane’s catch is delivered to restaurants or shipped out via E-Fish (a fishermen-driven online marketplace) the same day it is caught, and will be served fresh the following day. 

One hundred percent of his catch is harvested hook and line as opposed to using a net. Nets can catch unwanted species and drag them underwater for extended periods. They also beat up the mackerel, and by the time they are pulled up, they are dead and smashed. Because of its oily consistency, mackerel can’t take any pressure without getting slimy. 

“It’s not the easiest thing in the world to bring up a bunch of mackerels all day,” Shane says. “It may sound easy, but it’s very time consuming. It’s not everyday it hits. It’s very tedious. I try to make it the least tedious.”

Searching for Abundant Species

Shane stumbled upon the idea of catching these smaller fish while looking for yellowtail. Yellowtail feed on schools of mackerel and sardines, and where you find one, you are likely to find the other. He won’t skip an opportunity to catch yellows when he sees them. 

He explains, “I pretty much have to stop what I'm doing and run over to the yellowtail. I enjoy catching yellows. It’s kind of what got me into this. The mackerel is my bread and butter, and it’s what keeps me fishing for them. I enjoy selling yellowtail. Yellowtail is a sexy fish. Mackerel is not necessarily a sexy fish.”

There are two species of mackerel in our local waters, the Spanish and Pacific. Pacific is the dark meat variety that is comparable to tuna or bonito. They’re pinkish in color with a more robust flavor. The Spanish ones, also known as “Aji,” are closer to yellowtail with a more translucent flesh and milder flavor. Between the two, the Spanish mackerel have a slightly longer shelf life. 

Identifying Hyper-Local Cuisine

Most of the mackerel you see in sushi restaurants around San Diego is farmed, frozen, and exported from Japan despite there being an abundance of wild and fresh-caught varieties right off our shores. The restaurants that do work with Shane can’t get enough of his product. His loyal customer base includes Mabel's Gone Fishing, Wrench and Rodent, Shoots, Glassbox, Bica, and Makai Sushi. Shane sells out every week, but still feels hamstrung by imported and net-caught competition when it comes to raising his prices. 

I asked him if there was an element of education necessary when it came to the general public and he said absolutely. “There’s quite a few customers that have never tried this fish before. Because it isn’t very expensive, they are usually willing to give it a try. I tell them how to cook it and where to clean it. They come back the following week and ask for five pounds instead of two.” 

Find out more on Shane’s Instagram or through the Local Fish network.