Pietro’s entrée into the world of activism began during his time as president of the local fishermen’s association, when his ability to make a living as a fisherman was directly challenged. As part of plans to expand the Port of Oakland, shipping channels would be excavated and the material was to be dumped eleven miles from the fishing port of Half Moon Bay on productive fishing grounds. By the time Pietro found out of these plans, they were considered a done deal, despite the fact that not a single fisherman had been consulted.

“We started having fish BBQs to raise funds and the fishermen just rallied,” Pietro recalled. “We even had a blockade under the Golden Gate Bridge… Here’s 35 fishermen against these multiconglomerates…we got the media to illustrate our plight. They realized, ‘you know, you guys are right.’” With the backing of the State of California, Pietro and his local fishermen’s association took the case to court. After a five-year battle, the Port of Oakland secured alternative dumpsites for the mud, saving their fishing grounds from destruction and also allowing the Port of Oakland to deepen their shipping channels.

After that experience, Pietro’s life was never the same. He worked his way up to become the spokesperson for California fishermen as president of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA). He traveled to the Gulf Coast to give a workshop to displaced Cajun fishermen who were facing the closure of the redfish fishery. He was one of eighteen Americans chosen to be on the Pew National Oceans Commission, which developed a blueprint for US fisheries management. In 2004, he was given the NOAA Environmental Hero Award by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Now, Pietro is the president of the Institute for Fisheries Resources, where among other things, he is advocating for sustainable fisheries and the future of commercial fishermen. He asks that consumers request local seafood, to support coastal communities and the cultural and social heritage of fishing.

“These are producers, these people are right here in our backyard and they’re more than willing to bring you fresh seafood,” Pietro explained.

On the future of U.S. fish populations, Pietro is cautiously hopeful.

“We have all the ability and capability of restoring our domestic fisheries, but politics gets in the way. We need to get management on a more balanced track; we need to get better data, a better understanding of sustaining our marine resources and prioritizing the restoration of domestic fisheries. We’ll get there.”

For more, check out the Institute for Fisheries Resources.