An aging ice-making facility that serves commercial fishing vessels, charter boat operators and recreational fishers operating out of Bodega Bay is getting a $2.8 million upgrade aimed at boosting its reliability and efficiency and reducing its environmental impacts.
For years, the bulk ice production facility at Spud Point Marina has been the only one of its kind between San Francisco and Fort Bragg, serving approximately 250 vessels in the region.
According to the county, the equipment has lasted beyond its projected lifespan and frequently suffers breakdowns which require trucking in ice from outside the region. To rectify the costly issue, elected leaders on Oct. 20 announced they will use several sources of funding to install new energy-efficient refrigeration equipment that doesn’t use R-22, an ozone-depleting refrigerant that is being phased out under federal law
Richard Ogg, commercial fisherman and member of the Spud Point Marina Advisory Committee, said “It’s kind of a big deal” to see equipment improvement at this key location.
Ogg, a resident for 65 years who frequents salmon and crab fisheries, said anglers depend on access to ice to preserve their catch.
“We’ve been walking on eggshells, because every single time we need a volume of ice for salmon or crab … we’re always concerned the ice house is going to break down,” Ogg said. “It’s an aging facility.”
Commercial fisherman Dick Ogg, at Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay, Thursday, April 11, 2024. Ogg is the president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Association. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat)
The renovation project, managed by Sonoma County Regional Parks, will use a $1.5 million grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy, $1.2 million in federal funding secured by Rep. Jared Huffman and $75,000 from the California Air Resources Control Board’s F-Gas Reduction Incentive Program. It is expected to go out to bid in 2027, and could be completed later that year, according to Parks Director Bert Whitaker.
Whitaker said the funding is “critical” for supporting the local fishing industry, noting Spud Point Marina represents significant economic opportunity for the area. The marina is the county’s hub for commercial and sportfishing on Bodega Harbor, about 20 miles west of Santa Rosa and 60 miles northwest of San Francisco. It offers slips, berths and dry storage and privately chartered boats for sailing, whale watching and sportfishing.
Douglas Bosco, chairman of the California State Coastal Conservancy, praised the agreement on behalf of supporting local fishermen. “We know how hard they work, how tough it is to eke out a living in the fishing environment.”
“If they don’t have a way to store fish when they’re out on the ocean, they literally lose their catch and have to travel great distances with diesel fuel that’s extremely expensive now,” Bosco told The Press Democrat. “This will help them, so they won’t have to travel so far.”
Ogg agreed that with the county’s facilitation, “It’s a win for everybody.”
Staff Writer Natalie Hanson reports on business and agriculture for The Press Democrat. She can be reached at natalie.hanson@pressdemocrat.com or at 619-665-5887.