The announcement last week that the Malaysian government had called off the search for Flight 370 didn't exactly bring closure for the families of the victims.

But it made us think again about the legacy of Dr. Chandrika Sharma, a constant presence in the global fishing community who worked on behalf of women who fish and work in fishing communities, and small scale fishermen everywhere. Dr. Sharma, the executive secretary of the International Collective in Support of Fish Workers was on her way to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) meeting when Flight 370 disappeared.

Sharma's emphasis on human rights, community access to fisheries resources, and the rights of women fishers inspires us here at NAMA to continue with our own version of the Revol-ocean. Read on for more on Sharma's work as well as our own.

Onward,

Shannon Eldredge

NAMA board chair

Chatham, MA

We'd like to share-

Building community:

The work and vision of Chandrika Sharma

We were saddened to hear that one of the passengers aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 was Chandrika Sharma, a fisheries activist from Chennai, India. Read what Brett wrote about Dr. Sharma's focus on human rights, community access to fisheries resources, and women's rights. Her memory will stay with us while we continue to advocate for social and economic justice in our fisheries. Thank you, Dr. Sharma.

Influencing policy:

It's Cesar Chavez Day, and the last day of Farmworker Awareness Week 2014

But there are still many ways to participate (including seeing the Chavez movie):

Learn: Visit Farmworker Justice to learn more in-depth about the main issues facing farmworkers: Immigration reform; fair wages and labor laws; workplace hazards and pesticide exposure; environmental health and access to health care.
Act: Call your congressperson and tell them you support the Miller-Harkin Fair Minimum Wage Act and hope they do, too. Or sign this petition.
Share: Help spread the word on social media - use the tag #raisethewage to spread the word about fair wages for farmworkers. Make the connection between farmworkers and fishermen and share your thoughts!

Transforming Markets:

Bringing local seafood to hospital patients

2013 Seafood Throwdown with the Health Alliance

Guess how many pounds of fish our friends at Red's Best sold to health care facilities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 2013? NAMA partners Health Care Without Harm have been working with hospitals to increase local seafood purchases. The program is a win-win for fishing communities and hospital patients alike.

What we're reading now:

March highlights

Why fish tales matter, and the people, businesses, and organizations with good stories to tell.

Chefs can introduce us to plenty of other fish in the sea; and our pal Jared is one guy who can get it to them (or to you, too).

But wait...aren't there just a lot fewer fish in the sea?

Save the Dates:

It's all about the seeds. On April 17, global food sovereignty allies will

participate in solidarity actions to support the La Via Campesina's 'International Day of Peasants' Struggles'. These solidarity actions and events from around the world will highlight the significance and threats to our food sovereignty.

Schools of fish. Our friends at the Sitka Conservation Society will be giving a talk on efforts to get fresh local fish into school cafeterias across the nation at the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, April 15-18.

Visit our website for more events the NAMA network is part of. Coming soon: our season of Seafood Throwdowns!

Thank you for all you do to support our mission. Catch you next month!