A Father's Day Tribute: The Legacy of Chris Voss

This photograph was taken in front of the F/V Provider, while my father worked to finish her. As new parents, the name was fitting and captures the role they hoped she would play in our lives. Chris built her with his own hands—his first boat and the foundation of what would become a lifetime dedicated to sustainable fishing and community leadership. In revisiting this photo for our Father's Day newsletter tribute, I'm reminded of the profound influence Chris Voss has had not just on my life, but on our entire Santa Barbara fishing community.

As the President of the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Chris has been particularly vocal about the need for balanced marine protected area policies, advocating for sustainable fishing while supporting habitat protection. His progressive, science-based approach to fisheries management reflects his deep understanding that the health of our marine resources and the livelihoods of working fishermen are inextricably linked. He consistently demonstrates that effective conservation and thriving fishing communities can coexist when approached with wisdom and collaboration.

Over the course of his fishing career, Chris has worked in Alaska and Santa Barbara, fishing for crab, salmon, urchin, abalone, sea cucumbers, lobsters, and more. He has always been deeply dedicated to fishing as his way of providing for us. Fishing can be a hard life for both the fisher and their family… The motto, "when the weather is good, you go to work" meant that he was absent a lot when my brother and I were young. Fishing in Alaska in the summer, plus several overnight trips to the Channel Islands each week when he was here, left me always hoping for bad weather whenever I had a special event like a dance recital or school play I was hoping he could attend.

I loved the few days he would take me out of school so that I could go lobster fishing with him on the coast, and by the time I was 12, I wanted so badly to go to Alaska as well. He didn't agree to take me until I was 18. Fishing is a dangerous business and the accommodations weren't particularly well suited for young girls, living in a fish camp with 300 men sharing bunkhouses. When I finally got the chance I loved it. I spent 3 summers fishing in Alaska before my daughter was born and I had to give it up. But, oh do I still miss it 16 years later.

Starting Get Hooked nearly 7 years ago gave me a way back into the world of fishing, albeit with a different flavor. I am especially grateful that working in the industry has given me a shared passion through which I get to connect with all of my commercial fishing family - my father, brother, uncle, and cousin. I am also especially grateful that it has given me a ringside seat and special appreciation for the work that Chris does to uplift this community. He has always spoken about the importance of civic engagement and responsibility and it has been a joy to see him in action.

Today, the Provider continues her legacy in the SB Channel under the care of Jaime Diamond's family. Jaime owns Stardust Sportfishing and serves on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee for NOAA Fisheries and is Vice President of the Sportfishing Association of California, carrying forward the same commitment to thoughtful policy work that Chris has championed throughout his career. Jaime's husband and son have recently added commercial lobster fishing to their repertoire and it's a beautiful continuation of the Provider's story.

The values I've learned from my family—respect for the ocean, living sustainably and without unnecessary greed or waste, and the importance of standing up for what's right and leading a life with purpose—are the same principles that guide Get Hooked Seafood today and that we strive to share with every delivery.

And so the F/V Provider has lived up to her name… providing a living for a young fisherman just making his way in the world and providing a lifelong purpose, connection to the ocean, and commitment to community through seafood for those that came after. This is a legacy I am proud to call my own.

Happy Father's Day. Thank you for building not just boats, but a legacy that continues to guide us all.

— Victoria Voss, Owner, Get Hooked Seafood