The power of the network is ever-present and incredibly visible this month – more than 9 million folks recently spoke out against industrial aquaculture AND an industrial fish farm was defeated in Frenchman Bay! See more details in the full newsletter. As we close out the month, we’re riding this wave of momentum and savoring this fresh breath of energy. We’ve got plenty of engagement opportunities, network news, and funding reminders below, so be sure to check them all out.
If you haven’t already, please register for the FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. The Challenge has become an integral part of NAMA’s commitment to racial equity.
There's a lot going on this month, but first, let's talk about racial equity and fisheries.
"As we start into this new year, I want to take a moment to celebrate those who fish and whose work inspires me and our team every day. Thank you for showing us what hope is really all about when you put your gear in the water every day. We are committed to doing what we can to ensure that your kind of fishing operations that put real seafood full of value and nutrition on our tables are the ones that are valued by our society, not the industrialized, globalized, privatized version that pumps unidentified food objects into the global economies of scale."
Meet our new Digital Organizer, Estefania!
While Spring is often thought of as a time of revitalization, we’re ahead of the game here at NAMA. This month we’ve brought on several new team members, who will introduce themselves over the next few months. Plus, we’re working on our new Strategic Plan, looking forward to building a fresh new website, and there might even be a new logo coming soon (shh!). AND after being apart throughout COVID, the NAMA team is finally coming together in person, and some of us are meeting for the first time!
As we inch our way closer to the opening of scallop season on December 1st here in New England and many are diving into the harvest season, things here at NAMA have been bustling. There’s been an upwelling of momentum from the People’s Kitchen Counter-Mobilization to Farm Aid 2021 and so much more.
Last month, Niaz reminded us all to find joy, and this month, I’d like to remind us all to take pause. When times are busy like this, taking a small pause here and there allows us to celebrate the accomplishments and start envisioning where this momentum will carry us.
"But where do we find joy?
A few years ago as a friend and I were walking our dogs in the woods, she said watching dogs run and play brings her joy. I hadn’t really thought about the concept of joy that way and how even a little bit of it can lift our spirits for quite a while.
The momentum behind Block Corporate Salmon is growing, MFAC nominations are open, and your donations are being doubled!
Here are a few ways you can help #BlockCorporateSalmon
We passed a big milestone this past weekend marking the third anniversary of the shared-leadership model between NAMA and the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC). Another big anniversary is around the corner, too: the day we took off on a two-month, 13,000 miles trek across rural America.
Big News! Aramark now joins Sodexo, Compass, Trader Joes and more corporate buyers in announcing they will not buy GE salmon, bringing us closer to stopping the introduction of genetically modified salmon to our plates and ensuring that the salmon we eat is caught by indigenous groups and other values-based fishing operations.
Plus, there are tons of gatherings coming up for you all to join!
As a NAMA staff and board, for several years we’ve been deepening our commitment to our core values, especially when it comes to ‘dignity for all people’ and our commitment to racial equity. We know that understanding how systems of inequity show up in our fishing communities and our seafood supply chain ultimately start by understanding ourselves.
"Ultimately, I believe the problems that non-indigenous, white folks like myself see in our fishing communities today are manifestations of what began when my ancestors arrived 400 years ago. This means that in order to tackle today’s problems in earnest, we must learn from the past and center our solutions around those who’ve been longest impacted by these problems. Otherwise, we’re bound to continue repeating the history with the brunt of the impact shouldered by black, indigenous, and people of color."
Our latest newsletter is full of updates about what we've been up to, but the most important message comes from our board president Jason Jarvis: VOTE!
This past week has been another juxtaposing of the struggles that fishing communities face today with the struggles of the Civil Rights era and beyond. From hearing the disappointing (yet expected) results of the trial of the murderers of Breonna Taylor, to the upcoming release of Jalil Muntaqim, a Black Panther who’s been imprisoned for over 49 years, we see systems that aren’t playing fair. Systems that weren’t designed to play fair in the first place.
Even as we’re all struggling to stay afloat during these uncertain times, we must be vigilant as “solutions” are offered, that we don’t let the wool be pulled over our eyes. In recent weeks, we’ve seen a surge of propaganda promoting “sustainable” industrial farmed fish and a disturbing narrative that industrial aquaculture (read: factory fish farming) will solve food insecurity. We’re here to tell you that this messaging is false. We’ve seen this before.
As we near the end of summer, we’re stoked to celebrate fishing communities across the nation that have proved their innovation and resiliency during this pandemic. Even though our pleas for Congress to expand the stimulus packages in support of these communities have yet to be fully realized, we’ve made strong strides. Just last week the Senate passed a stimulus bill that designates $500M for fisheries. This is from our hard work and relentless pushing. But it’s not over yet.
This June, in celebration of World Oceans Month, our community came together in a big way. On June 8th we joined Too Big to Ignore’s international panel series highlighting small-scale fisheries around the world. And on June 15, we stormed the Twitter gates in a blitz campaign to tell our decision-makers that #FishermenAreEssential and to #HelpUsHelpYou provide seafood to local and regional communities in need.
And just like that, it’s June. Over the last three months, the Revol-Ocean has come together in full force! Together, we delivered recommendations from fishing communities across the nation for Congress’ next stimulus package, collaborated with the Local Catch Network to learn what our community of fish harvesters and seafood businesses wanted the federal government to do to support them in the age of COVID-19, and generated a sign-on letter to lift up their recommendations. These efforts culminated in a virtual SOS message that was sent to Congress and federal agencies.
We need hope during these times. We need community. And we need a pandemic of positive change. Changing how we feed ourselves is a good place to focus because the COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced the long standing cracks in a flawed food system. For over 25 years, we have made it our mission to advocate for changes that can build a better world by supporting community-based fishermen and visualizing a different seafood system. To do that, we must demand the changes that can get us there.
Meet Jason Jarvis, commercials fisherman from Westerly, Rhode Island and our new board president. Jason writes about his life as a community-based fisherman, how the current system undermines small- and mid-scale fisheries, and how the COVID-19 virus has amplified these short-comings.
A crowd of more than 250 people showed up at the hearing, and most were fiercely opposed to the project. People raised concerns about the possible environmental, public health, and economic impacts of the proposed offshore fish farm. Check out our latest newsletter for more details on this action, the status of the Codfather's assets, and more.
At NAMA, we’re defending the health of the ocean by fighting against corporate takeover. We’ve seen far too many environmental disasters caused by large corporations that place profits over our planet.
Plaquemines Parish, LA has one of the largest small-scale fishing fleets in the country, with primary catches coming from shrimp, crab, and oysters. It’s also one of the largest crude oil producing areas in the country.
From the Pacific Northwest to New England, we're uniting with fishermen and farmers coast to coast.
For this month's America the Bountiful mini-tour we headed to the Gulf of Mexico, traveling 1300 miles and visiting a dozen communities. Check out our pics and don't miss our road trip Spotify playlist. We also have updates on the Codfather, Local Catch Summit and Farm Aid. Read more.
On the latest America the Bountiful mini-tour we heard from community-based fishermen about challenges and opportunities, supported grassroots efforts to combat a CAFO-style salmon farm, and braved a tornado! Just to name a few highlights. Read more here.
What's the deal with the Codfather quota? As independent fishermen struggle to make ends meet, NOAA decision-makers are poising themselves for one of the largest fish quota giveaways ever. And who will benefit? An outside corporate investment firm. Read more here.
We're carrying the spirit of the America the Bountiful Tour with us as we visit more communities and ecosystems that define and guide our work. Our May newsletter jumpstarts our mini-tours with Brett's whirlwind visit to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts as Julianna and Rosanna head to Albuquerque to join forces with our fiends at the HEAL Food Alliance.
For NAMA, this is the year that we are formally changing our name to the North American Marine Alliance. This has been a long time coming. Our work has stretched the boundaries of our founding regional affiliation and now allows us to demonstrate the breadth and depth of our recent work. Read the full newsletter here.
In the last ten years, NAMA has set out to tackle the challenges of marine conservation in a way many fisheries organizations haven't-- through changing our food system. We believe that bringing about the positive changes we're calling for in our mission and values will result in a more just and sustainable food system. This includes improving the livelihoods of fishermen through economic empowerment, creating a healthier marine ecosystem, and stopping the corporate takeover of both the ocean and our food.
We often hear that we need aquaculture to feed the growing world population and to take pressure off wild ecosystems. We don't buy it.
Although we see the value of some aquaculture operations - namely scale-appropriate shellfish farming - we oppose industrial aquaculture and fish farming for many of the same reasons that we challenge factory-scale food production in general. We especially challenge the notion that factory animal farming on land or at sea is an ethical or even necessary approach to food production.
This month is one for reflection. Yes, we're beginning a new year and while there is much to share, we felt compelled to start by offering a small tribute to those close to our network who recently lost their lives in what we know is one of the deadliest industries out there. . .
Read the full newsletter here.
Most of us see Thanksgiving as a time to express our thanks to each other and to the food before us, but its roots paints a much different image. How do we meld the tragic history of Thanksgiving with our current appreciation for each other and the food we've brought to the table?
This newsletter highlights the fun ending of our 2018 summer season.
Love, worth, hope and possibilities are the major themes of this newsletter. The cross-country listening tour has taught us so much about the inherent shared experiences of farmers and fishermen. Read Niaz's powerful update letter to get a sense of these common themes.
Check out our 2018 Seafood Throwdown newsletter to learn more.
So much news to share in this newsletter! The tour is off and after a week on the road Niaz shares reflections from her visits with communities from DC to North Carolina. The new America the Bountiful website has been launched and bandanas are flying off the shelf!
Community-based fishermen and family farmers are now united through a new shared leadership model between the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA) and the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC).
Our board member (and commercial fisherman) Jason Jarvis heads to the Hill to oppose offshore drilling; we're building relationships at the HEAL Food Alliance gathering in Cleveland; and participating in the first meeting of the FINE Farm to Institution Policy Working Group.
*Get a closer look of the POLITICO full page ad campaign opposing offshore drilling that NAMA sponsored with other groups in the movement.
This month we headed to D.C. for the National Family Farm Coalition board meeting and we're releasing our first list of Seafood Throwdown dates for the 2018 season! Check out where we'll be this summer and read up on NAMA's newest hire: Amy MacKown joins the team!
What do you need in order to fight co-option of new innovations and corruptions throughout the fisheries systems? Read our latest newsletter to find out how we are working to do both.
Julianna Fischer, one of our community organizers, reflects on all that has happened during her first year at NAMA, and has put together a short list of some of her favorite moments of 2017.
Read about NAMA going to this year's World Forum of Fisher People's General Assembly in India, the US Food Sovereignty Prize, Codfather sentencing, testimony to US congress for the Fish Bill, and more.
Read about the Codfather's upcoming sentencing, what we think should be done about his crimes and the policies that gave him power, and other updates like our trip to DC, Farm Aid, and the upcoming last few Seafood Throwdowns!
The Codfather's sentencing, a packed Seafood Throwdown season, and growing demand for community based seafood... that's what summer is all about around these parts. Check out our latest newsletter for more details.
Wine & fish dinner at Heritage in Sherborn; 2017 Seafood Throwdown schedule; leadership institute opportunities; saying no to GMO salmon; and, more in our recent newsletter with an intro from Kate Masury of Eating with the Ecosystem.
Shame on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service for finalizing a rule to privatize, consolidate, and corporatize our ocean commons. Read this alert by our community organizer, Brett Tolley.
The case of Carlos Rafael has put a spotlight on Catch Shares. Read our latest newsletter for our perspective on how fisheries policies and systems are empowering the wrong part of the fishing industry. Also, last call for Seafood Throwdowns for the 2017 calendar, and more!
Thanks to all those who came to our Rock the Boat for Kathy Ozer event recently honoring her work and legacy, which clearly will be relevant for a very long time. Thanks, Kathy, for taking the words right out of our collective mouths when it comes to defining who we see as the true stewards of land and sea.
We're excited to share that we'll be launching a campaign in 2017 to amplify the shared narratives of family fishermen & farmers. We planted a seed for our plan to bring our story to a wider audience this November at the Blue Mountain Center with the National Family Farm Coalition.
Hear why our work is more relevant than ever and necessary to effectively heal the divides exposed by the 2016 election. We celebrate the demise of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and congratulate the fishermen, farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, fishworkers and rural communities for their diligent work for many years to protect our communities from trade agreements written by corporate insiders seeking only corporate profits.
Our latest newsletter takes you deeper into why we believe racial inequities and injustice laid the foundation for marginalization of fishing communities, bad neo-liberal policies, and the decline of the ocean.
Seafood Throwdowns are fun, tasty and exciting. Beyond the cooking competition excitement they're also a way for fishermen to share their stories and expose the corporate takeover of our ocean commons. Read Brett's story of why we throw down, about our upcoming trip CommonBound, the Good Food Awards and more!
At a time when success is measured by who can work at the speed of light regardless of the outcomes, we will continue to work at the speed of trust because we believe it's the only way to get the outcomes we seek for the long haul.
Purpose: At the core of our strategic plan is making sure all our work helps us achieve our purpose.
Art by Favianna Rodriguez representing the New Economy Community that will gather at CommonBound 2016. Read about our workshop track at CommonBound, get excited about April's 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, and catch up on #SlowFish2016 and the #LocalSeafoodSummit2016
That's us with all our inspiring fishermen and CSF friends at the #LocalSeafoodSummit2016 in Norfolk, VA. Catch up on the conversations at the Summit. Come see our FishHeadquarters!
Many of the gatherings we forced our way into starting back in 2008 have helped us change conversations, strategic directions, economic health of the fishermen, and expand our power at the political table. It's really very very cool to look at the many upcoming 2016 Summits where our partners are deeply engaged in relationships, strategies and projects. Read more...
Our Coordinating Director Niaz Dorry celebrates our movement's growth and successes of 2015. We look forward to more in 2016! Read more...
Our community organizer Brett Tolley shares a few of NAMA's recent light-shining moments including a national top-21 recognition, #GivingTuesday, and several wins from out network partners. Read more...
Our board president and commercial fisherman Shannon Eldredge share why walking out of a policy process was an important decision and going to Milan to receive the Bologna International Sustainability and Food Award.
What we're reading on Katrina's 10-year anniversary, our latest news and blog posts, and a sea shanty for you! See it all in our August newsletter!
NAMA's August newsletter
What we're reading on Katrina's 10-year anniversary, our latest news and blog posts, and a sea shanty for you! See it all in our August newsletter!