MARTINEZ, CA - The Contra Costa Superior Court granted final approval of a class action settlement resolving the claims of commercial herring fishers that arose out of a 2021 spill from Chevron’s Long Wharf in Martinez, California.

Gross Klein PC brought the action on behalf of the San Francisco Herring Association, John Mellor, and Chris Cameron in response to the spill of hundreds of gallons of petroleum products by Chevron into some of the San Francisco Bay’s best herring spawning grounds. The herring fishery was closed at the time of the spill; however, it created the risk of longterm damage to the Bay’s herring stock and resulting economic losses to fishers.

The class action settlement approved today provides thousands of dollars in compensation to every qualifying fisher who submits a claim. Allocation of the funds will be done in accordance with a point system based on certain factors, including whether and what type of herring permit a class member holds, the class member’s participation history in the fishery, and whether a class member owns a herring fishing vessel.

John Mellor, a longtime Bay Area commercial herring fisher and named plaintiff, stated, “It’s important that fishermen, whose livelihoods were put at risk by Chevron’s carelessness, held it responsible. We depend on these resources and the health of the Bay to make a living; and if we don’t hold polluters responsible, no one will.”

Stuart Gross, whom the court appointed class counsel, observed, “We’re once again proud of having done our part to support local commercial fishers. These men and women care deeply about the health of the environment, and we will always support them in their efforts to protect it.”

Complete information concerning the settlement, including details of the point system and how to submit a claim, are available here.