The Eureka Planning Commission voted to forward a commercial fishing subcommittee report to the City Council after commissioners and the public discussed barriers facing the local fleet.

Commissioner Kraft, who led the subcommittee, said the report was based on a questionnaire and interviews with five active fishermen, one former fisherman and several industry and city staff members. "We interviewed 5 fishermen plus 1 former fishermen," he said, summarizing outreach that informed findings and recommendations.

Why it matters: The report identifies operational cost challenges — limited access to ice and cold storage, higher local fuel prices than neighboring ports, and constrained processing capacity — that commissioners said could affect roughly 70 small businesses linked to the fishing fleet. Commissioner Kraft recommended that the commission provide zoning guidance to protect commercial waterfront uses while recognizing that many regulatory issues (for example, some dredging and fishery regulation) are controlled at the state level.

What was decided: After a brief public comment period — including remarks from Ken Bates, a longtime fisheries advocate who urged zoning that protects the working waterfront — a commissioner moved and a seconded to forward the report to council. The chair called the vote and recorded the motion as approved with ayes recorded by the commissioners present.

Public input and context: Ken Bates, identifying his affiliation with Humboldt Fisherman's Marketing Association and the California Fishermen's Resiliency Association, told the commission he had worked on land use and planning issues for decades and urged zoning that supports fishing uses rather than visitor-serving gentrification. "I'm really, really happy that the planning commission and the staff are willing to start this conversation," Bates said.

Next steps: The forwarded report will appear on the City Council's committee/commission reports section; staff said either the planning commission or the economic development commission (or both) may forward the report and that council review will determine subsequent action or referrals to staff for implementation work.