Healthy oceans and productive fisheries are crucial for the future of our planet, the survival of our species, and the prosperity of our country. Learn why effective management of U.S. federal fisheries is critical for the long-term conservation of our oceans.
Abundant fisheries begin with the right policies. See how developments on Capitol Hill and in federal agencies affect the people who work on the water. Learn how the Network defends and strengthens federal fisheries policy to work effectively for fishermen, fishing communities, and the oceans on which we all depend.
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On October 19, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources released the results of its 2026 juvenile striped bass abundance survey. The 2026 survey recorded a juvenile abundance index value (JAI) of 5.5, the highest since 2018, but still barely half the long-term average of 10.8. Maryland’s juvenile abundance survey data provides a time series dating […]
Top photo: Black sea bass (seen here on Gray’s Reef off Georgia) are one of the many species that depend on the Oculina Reef Pop quiz: What is the name of Jimmy Buffett’s band? If you guessed the Coral Reefer Band, you were right. Notwithstanding the not so subtle reference to non-marine substances, the coral […]
By Bill Mott, co-founder and senior advisor to World Ocean Project (formerly The Ocean Project), and Suzanne Iudicello, principal at Iudicello and Associates, an environmental consultant firm to fishing organizations, government agencies and foundations. Top photo by Mark Stebniki via Pexels. Conservation advocates were largely the new kids on the dock when it came to […]
Chris Moore and Will Poston of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation joined host Tom Sadler and the Marine Fish Conservation Network for a Waterside Chat on September 30, 2026. They focused on the importance of menhaden (a small forage fish) to bay ecosystems and why we need to act now to make sure they — and […]
Top photo: Summer flounder, scup and black sea bass caught in Narragansett Bay, by Dave Monti On August 31, 2026, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released revised recreational catch, landings, and effort data, which resulted from changes made to the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Fishing Effort Survey. The revised data is now available for […]
The Marine Fish Conservation Network is a coalition of commercial and recreational fishing associations, regional and national conservation groups, aquaria, sustainable seafood suppliers, and marine science organizations dedicated to sustaining abundant fish populations, healthy marine ecosystems, and thriving fishing communities through defending and strengthening U.S. ocean conservation policy, including our primary federal fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Learn more.
