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.
Watch our monthly Waterside Chats or listen to the podcasts. Read our blog, join our email list and follow the Network on Facebook and Twitter to learn what’s stirring the waters when it comes to fisheries management, working waterfronts, recreational angling and much more.
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. Conservation advocates were largely the new kids on the dock when it came to fish and fisheries as reauthorization of the […]
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 […]
Top photo: Fishing boat off the coast of North Carolina, by Mark Stebniki via Pexels Losing Our Competitive Edge: NOAA’s Priorities for American Seafood Why science-based management and conservation are central to American seafood “dominance” The Trump administration has recently declared a goal to increase American dominance in the global seafood market. The United States […]
Top photo: Fishing boat docked in Swansboro Harber, North Carolina, via Pexels On August 17, 2026, a Superior Court judge in Wake County, North Carolina found that, in managing its marine fisheries, North Carolina “has failed to meet its ‘obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the benefit of the general public’ as required under […]
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.
