By Neil Farrell ~

For a man of the sea, getting recognition for work done in board rooms and public meetings would seem a little out of place.

Such is the case for Morro Bay commercial fisherman, Jeremiah O’Brien, who was recently honored with a “Highliner Award,” by National Fisherman Magazine, for his many years of advocacy for the fishing industry. It’s the highest award given for a troller, a gear set that trails long lines from outriggers with baited hooks.

“There have been so many things over the years,” Jeremiah said while standing on the back deck of his boat, the CFV Aguero, docked by the launch ramp in Morro Bay Harbor. He was active in and president of the Commercial Fishermen’s Organization for many years, a board member of the Community Quota Fund, and has testified over the years before Congress, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Fisheries Management Council, State Fish & Game and serving as the fishing representative during the Marine Protected Areas program’s run-up. “I can’t remember all this sh*t,” he laughs. “There’s always something coming up.”

He noted that the honor was made possible by and the award is shared with the MBCFO, without whom this wouldn’t be possible, he says.

A modest man who has grown into his current role as the local go-to guy for information about the fishing industry, Jeremiah was humbled by the award, which he and wife Trudy traveled to Seattle Nov. 19 to receive. It was one of three Highliner Awards the magazine has annually given since 1975. The other winners this year were Kathy Hansen of Douglas, Alaska, and John F. Gruver of Puyallup, Wash.

The award bears his name but he hopes that the national recognition will bring increased recognition for the things they’ve done locally. “If nothing else,” he says, “I hope it brings a little more recognition to the fishery in Morro Bay and the support the fishermen have always had from the community. We’ve had support from the Harbor Department, and the City and I’d like to see us continue to get that support in the future. And of course my wife, who is responsible for so much of it too.”

Trudy, the daughter of a fisher family, fished side-by-side with Jeremiah for 14 years (they’ve been married for 23) and she too is active in the industry.

“Morro Bay is recognized nationwide,” Jeremiah continues, “coast-to-coast for innovations, working with fisheries managers and adaptations to new gear types and improvements to the fishery.”

Among these has been the Community Quota Fund, a non-profit organization of local trawlers and ground fish fishers, scientists and interested citizens, who formed in order to purchase some of the allowable catch. The federal program divvies the total catch limit in the deep-water fishery, established annually, among permit holders. The Community Quota is intended to make sure some of that allowable catch stays local. Morro Bay has led the way in these efforts with the quotas, Jeremiah says. Other ports are now looking at Morro Bay’s model for their communities.

In all the traveling he’s done, Jeremiah says he’s never been paid for his work, only getting reimbursements for travel expenses. “I’ve never taken a penny and I don’t expect to take a penny,” he says rather adamantly. “If I did, it would take away from my credentials. I’m not a paid advocate. But I’ll be honest with you, it’s cost us a fortune,” to which Trudy nods in agreement. But neither expresses any concern about the costs. This is important work. Fishermen have long known that if they don’t speak up for themselves, no one will.

Jeremiah hails from Boston, Mass., where he was a self-described “ski bum” growing up. He came out to California landing at Mammoth and then Lake Tahoe for a few years working in restaurants so he could ski.

He came to Morro Bay in 1980 to help renovate Bloody Brown’s Morro Beach Inn, transforming it into the Moose Jaw, now called The Buoy.

He first went salmon fishing in 1982 with Randy Kann, he recalls. He’s always loved to fish and at some point he said to himself, “I want to do this for the rest of my life. I had boats in Cape Cod and a freshwater [lake] boat.”

He worked with boat builder and fisherman Mike Radon building boats including the Harbor Department’s old warhorse. “Mike and I built the old harbor patrol boat for [then harbor master] Jim Funk,” he says. “Jim quit in disgust after the San Mateo Incident and the City was sued for wrongful death.” In 1983, the San Mateo was on a whale-watching excursion with some 23 schoolchildren from Paso Robles on board when she was hit by massive waves and overturned in the harbor entrance.

All were rescued safely that day but the skipper of the San Mateo later died. Funk, he says, moved to Seattle and became harbormaster there. “We lost a great harbor master when Jim left.”

He and Randy built a dive boat and dove for abalone and urchins working from San Diego to Pt. Arena for about 7 years.

He’s owned three boats, buying the Florence from the late-Fast Eddie Ewing and the Aguero in 1997 from retired fisherman Fred Sears.

Now semi-retired, he still fishes for albacore, from June to October leaving the swordfish season behind him. He still holds a swordfish permit and about $100,000 worth of drift net gear that he’d be willing to sell.

“I’m 68 now,” he says with some resignation, “and I’ve had three bouts with cancer. I’ll keep working until I can’t anymore, whenever Mother Nature sits me down. I hope I’ve got a few good years left.”