Statement of Commercial Fishermen and the North American Marine Alliance (NAMA) on Private Equity Firm Dominating Fisheries Access and Ownership

“To address this fisheries crisis, we need Congress to implement safeguards that prioritize fishery access for community-based fishermen instead of billion-dollar private equity firms.”

The recent ProPublica investigative report, revealing how a billionaire Dutch family currently operates as the largest New England fish-quota owner, confirms what fishermen have been warning lawmakers for decades: that replacing independent fishermen with outside investment firms will undermine economic, social, and environmental goals. However, these warnings extend well beyond New England.​​​​​​