In mid-July, Don’t Cage Our Oceans, a NAMA campaign, collaborated with the State Innovation Exchange on a Coastal Convening gathering that brought 22 state legislators from 13 different states together to think about how progressive state policy makers can fight industrial seafood systems and uplift the values we cherish to strengthen local seafood communities and economies. 

It was an extraordinary gathering that was only made possible by the people on the ground who welcomed us, fed us, spoke with us, and showed us what can be created if we work together. The weekend kicked off with an amazing meal at the Duwamish Longhouse with salmon provided by Native Candies. Many welcomes and words of appreciation were exchanged as we broke bread over the cuisine shared by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. The following day, the Suquamish Nation hosted our crew and demonstrated what community-based aquaculture looks and tastes like. The state legislators were introduced to Geoduck clams - a regional specialty. Then, our last day ended on the docks of Seattle’s Fishermen's Terminal with what I called a speed dating adventure with 4 different people versed in the past, present, and future of the fishing communities in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. It was a jam-packed weekend with so much information and relationships to absorb.

So, now what are the next steps? We are working to take the energy that was cultivated in Seattle to the next level and continue to make change town by town, district by district. One legislator was so inspired, she wants to have another gathering in her home state with policy makers from the region - to figure out how to uplift values based seafood systems outside the confines of legislation. How can we impact budgets, shoreside infrastructure, regional fishery management councils? How can we expand our web to make industrial finfish farming a thing of the past and vibrant local seafood communities a consistent reality?

I appreciate the state legislators taking time out of their busy schedules to join us at the Coastal Conevening. Much gratitude to our hosts at the Duwamish Longhouse and the Suquamish Seafood Facility. Big shout out to our international speakers, Catalina Cendoya (GSFR) and Gideon Mordecai (University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries), as well as to Carl Wassilie for our beautiful closing. Also, a thank you to our dockside chats with Katie Harris, Per Odegaard, Chad See, and Ephraim Froelich. Lastly, this would have never happened without the incredible collaborators with SiX and the DCO2/NAMA crew, including James Mitchell and Meg Stratton, who worked hard to make the weekend a success! 

Best,
Andrianna Natsoulas
DCO2 Campaign Director

In This Issue
Seafood Throwdown at the Boston Jerk Fest
BCS at the Indian Fishers Expo
Coming Clean
WFFP Update
NAMA News Update
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