What do Fisherman's Wharf modernization efforts mean for SF's fading fishing hub?

"Fisherman's Wharf is undergoing a transformation into a modern public space, but commercial fishermen worry the changes will push them further to the margins of a waterfront that was once the heart of their industry. Tourists from around the world visit the wharf for Dungeness crab and seafood, an attraction fishermen say would likely not exist without an active commercial fleet."

"The Monterey clippers were once built and maintained at a machine shop on Fisherman's Wharf. That shop is no longer there, a loss that fishermen say has had lasting consequences. "Don't have a machine shop. Don't have a shop that we could do some woodworking on our boats OK. Besides the machine shop, we need a shop that we can work on our boats," Alioto said."

""These are wooden boats. They don't last forever. These boats are almost 100 years old, and they need love. They need care." We asked Alioto where they took them. "There's only one place," he said. That place is between the Mission Bay and Dogpatch neighborhoods, where boat owners must haul their vessels out of the water for repairs -- an added expense they would prefer to avoid."

"During the 1970s and 1980s, Fisherman's Wharf shifted into a tourist destination. MORE: SF's Fisherman's Wharf gains momentum as revival unfolds | Here's why some are voicing concerns "Don't have a machine shop. Don't have a shop that we could do some woodworking on our boats OK. Besides the machine shop, we need a shop that we can work on our boats," Alioto said. Since then, fishermen have said coexisting with increased foot traffic has been a challenge."

Fisherman’s Wharf is being transformed into a modern public space, while commercial fishermen worry the changes will push them away from the waterfront. Tourists visit for Dungeness crab and seafood, which fishermen say depends on an active commercial fleet. The waterfront was set aside in 1900 for commercial fishing boats, and Italian immigrant fishermen later dominated the area using Monterey clipper boats. Nino Alioto’s family history continues with Sal Alioto cleaning a boat that once carried five tons of herring. A machine shop on the wharf that built and maintained clippers is gone, leaving fewer local options for woodworking and repairs. Boat owners must haul vessels out between Mission Bay and Dogpatch for repairs, adding expense. Increased foot traffic since the 1970s and 1980s has also made coexistence difficult.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco