The Bodega Bay fishing fleet—which used to be more than a thousand strong—now sits at 78 boats. photo credit: Greta MartBodega Bay commercial fisherman Dick Ogg in front of his boat. At the end of the month, three county-owned marinas in Sonoma County will become one; that is, they will all be operating from the same pot of money.
Sonoma County government operates a handful of marinas. Three are In Bodega Bay, Mason’s Marina, built in the 1960’s for the commercial fishing fleet; neighboring Spud Point, built in the 1980’s;and the Sport Fishing Center on the bay’s east side..
While Mason’s Marina and the Sport Fishing Center have held stable reserves in recent years, closures of lucrative salmon fisheries, and restrictions on other catches like Dungeness crab have strained Bodega Bay’s commercial fleet, and made finances at the larger Spud Point Marina more volatile.
That’s a trend that’s been years in the making says Marina Supervisor Noah Wagner…