The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) will host Mary Nishimoto, liaison for the Joint Oil/Fisheries Liaison Office (JO/FLO) of South/Central California, for a look at the unique, four-decade model of collaboration between commercial fishermen and the offshore oil industry.
The talk will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at SBMM. SBMM members are invited to a pre-lecture reception, 6:15-6:45 p.m.
Tickets are free for Navigators Circle members; $10 for SBMM members; $20 for the general public; $5 for students and educators with a valid school ID or email.
Buy tickets here, email reservations@sbmm.org, or call 805-456-8750.
In her talk titled Shared Waters: How Fishermen and Offshore Oil Work Together, Nishimoto will highlight the history and role of JO/FLO, an often-unseen but key channel of communication created through direct negotiations between fishing and oil company representatives in 1983.
JO/FLO has helped reduce work disruptions and minimize the risk of conflict in shared offshore spaces for 40 years, offering a framework for practical problem-solving at sea, according to SBMM.
Nishimoto will provide background on commercial fishing and the history of offshore oil development in the Santa Barbara Channel region, along with insights into the ecology of offshore platforms and natural reefs.
She will address how longstanding agreements and liaison engagement continue to guide both industries today, particularly as platform decommissioning moves forward in the channel and stakeholders weigh considerations such as partial versus full removal.
“Not many people in our coastal community know JO/FLO exists, yet it has quietly helped to keep working waterfronts working,” said Nishimoto. “At its core, it’s about building trust, sharing accurate information, and finding workable solutions so both industries can operate safely and respectfully in the same ocean space.”
“SBMM is proud to bring conversations like this into the museum—stories that reveal how our channel’s working ocean is shaped not only by nature, but by relationships, communication, and hard-earned cooperation,” said Jason Statucki, education coordinator.
“This is a fascinating look at how people with very different livelihoods have reduced conflict and kept the focus on safety, access, and shared responsibility,” he said.
Nishimoto is the liaison for the Joint Oil/Fisheries Liaison Office of South/Central California and an affiliate at UC Santa Barbara.
With three decades of regional marine research experience, much of it focused on the ecology of offshore oil platforms and natural reefs, she works at the intersection of science, industry and communication, SBMM said
Nishimoto serves as an alternate representative for commercial fishing on the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council.
The Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series is sponsored by Marie L Morrisroe.