At just eight years old, Al Pazar stepped into the world of commercial fishing, working alongside his father in Tacoma, Washington. At that age, Al helped his father build a 34’ boat, while also assisting him on the water, trolling for salmon—a rite of passage for many young fishermen on the Pacific coast.
Pazar is one of the 2024 National Fisherman Highliners of the Year, an award given to a career commercial fisherman known for their contributions to the industry. A lesser-known characteristic shared amongst deserving Highliners is the aversion to speaking about themselves, rather, they discuss the work they do for their fishery.
Pazar is no different. During correspondence with National Fisherman reporters, he sent two Microsoft Word documents bulleting his fishery contributions. They amounted to eight pages of agency involvement and research studies that he’s been a part of over the past 45 years—he’s been fishing for 60.
In 1973, Pazar bought his first fishing vessel at the age of 17, fishing it along the coasts of Washington and Oregon. Over the decades, he has operated both commercial fishing vessels and ocean research vessels, specializing in Dungeness crab for 49 consecutive years.
“The fishery that's most near and dear to my heart is still salmon trolling. I love it, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make a living at it because the seasons were so inconsistent,” he shared. “I kind of accidentally went crabbing, and I stayed there ever since.” Pazar spent 10 years on deck as a crewman before making his way into the wheelhouse for the last 40 years.
Fast forward to today, and Pazar is celebrating his 50th year crabbing. As for his recognition of the Highliner Award, he provided a humble explanation.
“I'm just a fisherman. I think I probably work pretty hard. I got a good reputation, whatever. But my claim to fame is that I stepped into the role kind of early on as the liaison that would go between science and the industry, because there was always a polarization,” he said.
“I've had many, many people come up to me and say, ‘Al, I'm glad it's you that's out there collecting the data with these guys, because even if we don't like it, we know that it was legit.’ I get a lot of comments like that,” he continued. “So that's my role, if anything, I mean, whatever Highliner is, I have no idea, but if anything qualifies me to be a Highliner, it would be that role. I tried to give back to fisheries that were good to me. I tried to make them better. I thought limited entry was the right thing to do. I thought pot limits were the right thing to do. And for better or worse, we have it, you know. It caused a lot of controversy at the time, but whatever, somebody's got to be there.” Pazar abridged his career to “the guy in the middle all the time.”
During the course of Pazar’s fishing career, he was on the commission of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission for 15 years and chairman for nine of those years. He was one of several inaugural members of the Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia, authorized by the Oregon State Legislature, a member of the Dungeness Crab Advisory Committee for Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife, a permit review board member for Oregon Commercial Dungeness Crab, and the vice president of the Newport Crab Marketing Association.
Pazar has also held roles in finfish sectors, like being the Washington delegate to PMFC (NMFS) as a Salmon Advisory subpanel member, helping set seasons, the co-chair of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve community team, and a research advisory board member for the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)
In addition to all of these committees, Pazar has spoken at numerous conferences, connecting fisheries to science. After a half-century as a seasoned commercial fisherman, Pazar is now shifting his primary focus to fishing and ocean research along the West Coast.
“That's my focus now, it’s research,” he said.” We have a boat and a crew, and a very versatile boat that could do just about any type of ocean research that needs to be done that's appropriate for a boat our size… We customize for every cruise. This week, we’re doing a multi-beam mapping of some of the Oregon territorial seas. Some stuff that's never been done before. I really enjoy the science end of it.
With a background that spans the entire North Pacific coast, including work in Alaska and Puget Sound, Pazar’s knowledge of marine ecosystems is extensive. His passion for science is evident as he discusses his research history, which includes performing approximately 12 preseason tests for Dungeness, studying domoic acid levels, and evaluating female dungie fertilization rates in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other organizations since 1990.
Pazar has contributed to many projects, such as the recovery of lost instrument platforms, biological assessments for wave energy sites, and various surveys for rockfish while working alongside scientists and researchers. His involvement in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's stock assessment survey, where he played a key role for over a decade, highlights his commitment to understanding and sustaining these fisheries.
Al Pazar’s story is one of commitment and passion for the ocean. As he continues to blend his fishing background with scientific inquiry, he is more-than deserving of this year’s Highliner of the Year award in today’s fishing community.
