San Fran fishermen oppose tourist plan for Fisherman’s Warf
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Commercial fishermen at Pier 45 in Fisherman's Wharf are opposing a new development plan they claim could convert their workplace into a public-facing tourist attraction, which could interfere with the last remnants of San Francisco's historic fishing culture.
Earlier this month, the San Francisco Port Commission endorsed a $550 million proposal to revitalize the area, which has fallen on hard times in recent years, by adding several new attractions including an events center, food hall, hotel, an "experiential museum" and a place where tourists can watch fishermen at work on the pier.
"The biggest issue is that the entire flavor of this pier would go from the working industrial space to being an amusement park," said Sarah Bates, a fisherman and board member of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners' Association. Bates specifically criticized parts of the plan that would construct areas where tourists could watch fishermen work from glass observation areas, comparing it to working in a fish bowl.
By drawing on the wharf's past as a fishing hub, the new proposal seeks to restore the neighborhood's once-devastated tourist industry. In their plans, the group envisions a park-like atmosphere filled with breweries, wineries and public spaces like a pedestrian-only promenade.
Businessman Lou Giraudo, who formerly owned the well-known Boudin bakery and has lived in the area his entire life, has been a notable supporter of the plan.
"This is a passion project for me. Fisherman's Wharf is in dire straits and needs revitalization," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The plan will go next to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. If they approve it, construction will begin in 2028.
Pier 45 is a working fishing pier that supplies millions of pounds of crab, black cod, albacore, rockfish and shrimp to San Francisco every year. Each morning between 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., the area becomes a bustling pre-dawn mix of fishermen unloading catches from their boats and hoisting them up to a waiting crowd of wholesale fish buyers. From there, the fish are gutted, processed and then shipped throughout the region just in time for the midday lunch rush.
Although Pier 45 is open to the public, pedestrians without business are rarely seen in the farther reaches of the pier.
"One of the ways that we have coexisted with the tourism industry is that we have pretty clear boundaries. They stay in their areas and we stay in our areas," explained Bates, who has been a commercial fisherman for over 15 years. "The tourist aspect of the neighborhood stops at the edge of the industrial activity."
However, fishermen claim this project will upset that balance by placing tourist activity in the middle of their workplace.
"Imagine how nervous you'll be when a tourist is watching you park your boat in the wind and tide and trying to give you pointers from behind glass," she said.
Additionally, the fishermen of Pier 45 are deeply concerned about the availability of space in the area. Many of them think of the space as their own, spending significant amounts of time at the pier, even sleeping and eating meals there between trips to sea. Most of them store equipment at the pier in warehouses, but room has been tight since one of the warehouses "Shed C" burned down in 2020, destroying over $4 million in equipment. Since then, many have started storing their equipment outside, which exposes it to the elements and can reduce its durability.
The latest proposal promised to save at least the same amount of storage space for fishermen as they had before the warehouse fire and to keep rental rates for storage the same.
Other fishermen also criticized what they saw as a dishonest representation of the industry in the new glass attraction. Most of the fish processed at Pier 45 is imported, and they're concerned tourists will think they're locally caught.
"They will be processing a bunch of imported seafood from out of the country behind that glass, but they won't be processing our seafood," said Brand Little, a local fisherman.
Local businesses seem cautiously optimistic about a new attraction in the area.
"It won't be good for everyone, but it'd be nice if will bring more people in," said Mohammad Elham Tokahy, manager for SF Mobile Phone Repair Shop.
Reactions among tourists have been mixed. Lori Hill, a tourist from New Zealand, said she would probably pass on a fish-themed attraction.
"When I come to San Francisco, I'm not looking to find people cutting fish heads. I'm here to find the vibe, the culture, everything else," said Hill.
Thummler Florian, a tourist from Germany, expressed a similar sentiment.
"I mean, on my vacation, I wouldn't be really interested to see people work," Florian said.
Bates thinks this new plan may be the breaking point for older members of the fleet.
"I suspect a lot of people will just hang it up, sell the boat, and then the boat will go to another port, most likely Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay or Crescent City," she said.