Steveston fisherman’s market

Sea urchins from the Steveston Fisherman's Wharf. Photos by David Lansing.

I probably would have had plenty of time to get my fish & chips in Steveston if I hadn’t got hung up hanging around the fisherman’s market. First there was the guy, a young diver, selling live sea urchins. He only had a few left. And they were three for $10, which seemed like a hell of a bargain to me. I asked him when he’d caught them and he looked at his watch and said, “About three hours ago.”

Then there was the couple selling locally-caught shrimp and the salmon fishermen. But my favorite was the guy selling fresh halibut. There was a Russian woman there and she wanted a 14-pound halibut. Why did she want a 14-pound halibut? I have no idea. But the guy pulled a big fish out of an ice bin, weighed it, and told her it was 14.75 pounds. The Russian woman thought about it for awhile and said that was okay. She’d take it.

Afterwards, I stopped her and asked her why she wanted exactly 14 pounds. She said she and her husband were hosting a party tomorrow night for her sister who was getting married. And there would be 14 people at the party. “One person, one pound,” she said. And with that she walked off carrying the large halibut over her shoulder.