Nineteen fishing boats based in Bodega Bay are blessed and ready for action. Sunday was the annual Blessing of the Fleet and boat parade around Bodega Harbor and into the bay. Nineteen boats took part in the event, which is a major part of the two-day Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival. This year’s festival was held Saturday and Sunday at Westside Park. The events come during a rough time for the local fishing industry. This year’s commercial and recreational salmon seasons were closed because of collapsing fish stocks. And, crab season was shortened for the fifth straight year to protect whales from getting entangled in fishing gear.
