Photo: Brett Tolley, with Niaz Dorry and Colles Stowell at Boston Jerk Fest 2024 | |
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Hello Niaz,
With much love in my heart, I’d like to share some exciting news about the next chapter of my fisheries advocacy journey. Starting next year, I’ll be leaving my current position at NAMA to lead the Chatham Harvesters Cooperative (CHC) - a group I helped form with fishing families in my hometown.
I’ll never forget the first time I gathered with fishing folks as a NAMA organizer. It was a winter blizzard in coastal Maine, and about 30 of us huddled together in a cold conference center. Among them were my earliest mentors, Kim Libby and Ted Hoskins, both of whom have since passed. Kim often quoted Walter Scott, saying, “It’s no fish yer buying, it’s men’s lives.” Their wisdom, along with that of many others, taught me important lessons of commitment, truth-telling, and integrity—values that have shaped and strengthened my approach to community organizing.
Since then, our network has grown to include hundreds of fishing community leaders from coast to coast and thousands of like-minded supporters throughout the country who go to bat for our fishing families and the ocean. Beyond our borders, NAMA is the only United States member group of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples. This means that we’re all part of a global network of millions of values-aligned fishing people from around the planet.
During my 15 years at NAMA, I’ve had the privilege to really get to know many of you. You’ve welcomed me into your homes and families, offered a place to sleep, and of course, nourished me with your fresh catch. We’ve faced many joys and sorrows together - endless uphill battles, speaking truth to power at Council meetings, slogging Seafood Throwdown equipment through the rain, launching new CSFs. We’ve ruffled some necessary feathers along the way and navigated the pushback side by side. Throughout it all, I’ve cherished being on this journey with you. And I’m deeply and forever grateful for all that y’all have given me.
Most of you know that growing up in a fishing family is what led me to this work. And throughout my time with NAMA, I’ve deepened my understanding of the core problems we face in our fisheries. And more importantly, thanks to you all - the core solutions we need.
This next chapter feels like coming full circle for me, my fishing family, and my coastal community. I’ll be channeling all I’ve learned and experienced with you all to help build a more value-based seafood supply chain anchored right in my hometown. Owned and operated by local fishing families, CHC is building a local and regional supply chain that honors people and the ocean. A supply chain where folks know that it's not just “fish yer buying.” It’s the lifeblood of an entire community.
In my new role with CHC, I look forward to seeing many of you at future Local Catch Network gatherings, Slow Fish, and more. Plus, my work with NAMA isn’t over entirely. I’ll continue to support both the Catch Share Reform Coalition and Don’t Cage our Oceans. So this isn’t really a goodbye, but rather a “see you around.”
Stepping into the role of NAMA’s National Program Coordinator will be Pedro Altagracia. Over the next couple of months Pedro and I (plus the entire NAMA team) will be working closely to ensure Pedro has a rock-solid onboarding process. Pedro’s official first day will be this Friday, November 1st, at the Slow Fish gathering in South Carolina. Myself and several NAMA team members will be there too! I encourage y’all to please go out of your way to introduce yourself to Pedro and warmly welcome him to our community.
My heart will always be in this work and I wish our collective networks the very best. As fisherman Rob Seitz likes to say, “come hell or high water”, we’re in this together.
with much gratitude,
Brett
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In This Issue
Honoring Salmon, Honoring Life
DCO2 News
Melanie Brown's Farm Aid Reflection
Fish of the Week Podcast
Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
LCN Seafood Acceleator Innovation Lab
San Diego Cookbook Project
Hurrican Relief
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Block Corporate Salmon campaign and A Growing Culture recently collaborated on a zine highlighting the relationship between Salmon People in the Pacific Northwest and the development of Genetically Engineered Salmon. The intention was to build educational resources that could reach a general global audience, translate the struggle we are facing with the FDA approval of genetically engineered salmon in the United States to a global context, uplift important voices that have played a key role in stewarding the restoration of Wild Salmon habitat, uplift the local community resisting new AquaBounty facilities such as the Williams County Alliance, and continue to raise awareness about the dangers of genetically engineered salmon. You can check out the zine at blockcorporatesalmon.com and you can catch up on the five educational posts in the series here. Please follow @BlockCorporateSalmon on Instagram to stay tuned! | |
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NWP 56 Victory
In Don’t Cage Our Oceans vs. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the US District Court recently ruled that the Nationwide Permit 56 (NWP 56) granted by the US Army Corps of Engineers was unlawful. This is a big win when it comes to blocking the rapid development of industrial finfish farms in federal waters!
Background: NWP 56 was granted as part of Executive Order 13921, which directed several federal agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to make moves towards establishing offshore finfish aquaculture in federal waters. NWP 56 was issued in order to grant federal approval for the construction of finfish farm structures in navigable waters. However, the Army Corps of Engineers did not take into account that the pens were more than just structures, but would actually hold farmed carnivorous fish. This prompted the courts to rule in favor of the plaintiffs (including the Center for Food Safety, who argued the case), citing that NWP 56 was in violation of several core environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Listen to the Public News Service story here.
DCO2 Newsletter
After five (!) years fighting against industrial fish farms, Don’t Cage Our Oceans decided to launch a quarterly newsletter! Every quarter they will share what they have been up to, uplift news from their network, and introduce some of their coalition members. You can sign up for our newsletter here.
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Melanie Brown Reflects on Farm Aid | |
Photo: NAMA Board Member Melanie Brown with Jeff Bender from Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance | |
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SalmonState Outreach Director Melanie Brown was able to attend the 2024 Farm Aid concert under the sponsorship of the North American Marine Alliance, whose sister organization is the National Family Farm Coalition. Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on the land. Here are some of Melanie’s thoughts and takeaways:
“Meeting with farmers in Saratoga Springs, New York, prior to this year’s Farm Aid was quite an eye-opening experience and heart filling. And of course it was exciting to witness the magic that still emanates from Willie Nelson on the day of the festival. Other headliners included Neil Young, John Mellenkamp, and Dave Matthews as founding board members of Farm Aid. At the pre-festival forum, activist singer and storyteller Larry Long brought forward the story of farmers that he helped to organize into a tractorcade that reached a hundred miles long by the time it reached Washington, D.C. Having the heart of an organizer, what Larry shared with us really struck a chord in me to activate my mind around how we can work together. Farmers and fishermen as harvesters share many of the same plights and really put it out on the line in many of the same ways. We are the ones who usually bear the brunt of market conditions in a downturn, and we are the ones who are subjected to the atmospheric and environmental conditions that stand to fold all that we work for to feed people. Here is hoping that family farms affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton will find ways to recover. Those affected are in our thoughts.”
Melanie was interviewed with farmer Jeff Bednar on Willie’s Roadhouse channel and the interview went out on a live feed along with the Dave Matthews’ radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. The feed will be re-broadcast over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We’ll be sure to send you the link!
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Climate Pollution Reduction Grants | |
LCN Seafood Accelerator Innovation Lab | | |
Applications are now open! LCN is excited to announce the 2025 application cycle for their two upcoming Seafood Accelerator and Innovation Lab (SAIL) programs: (1) SAIL Catalyst is a 14-week seafood business accelerator to support network members establish their businesses and gain traction; (2) SAIL Mentorship is a year-long peer-to-peer mentorship program designed to support network members build capacity and work towards long-term goals. | |
San Diego Cookbook Project | |
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Our friends in San Diego are working to put together a collection of recipes and stories encompassing culture, and the beauty of sustainable seafood. Each recipe threads the past and present together to demystify seafood for institutional and home chefs.
Driven by California Sea Grant and project partners, with contributions from San Diego historians, fishing families, artists, scientists, at-home chefs, and celebrity chefs like Davin Waite, Travis Swikard, Natalie Sawyer, and Drew Deckman, this has been a collaborative local-community effort from the start. You can support this project here.
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Our network leaders Travis Dardar and Justin Solet, both Indigenous Houma Nation shrimp fishermen and environmental justice organizers, have been working hard over the last few months to provide Hurricane relief in Southwest Louisiana. You can support them at Fishermen Involved in Sustaining our Heritage (FISH). Recently, while Travis and his wife Nicole were helping with recovery efforts, their home tragically caught fire. You can help them in this time of need by contributing to their fundraiser.
If you are looking to contribute to Hurricane Helene and Milton recovery, we encourage you to check out Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, a grassroots network based on the principles of solidarity, mutual aid, and autonomous direct action (Venmo: @MutualAidDisasterRelief / PayPal: MutualAidDisasterRelief@gmail.com).
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If you love our work then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community. GreatNonprofits – the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback – is honoring highly regarded nonprofits with their 2024 Top-Rated List. Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes! Go here to get started! | |
Have you always wanted a NAMA hoodie? Now’s your chance! We’ve got hoodies, aprons, and onesies for the littlest fishes among our movement! Our merch is made in the US by Worx Printing Co-op, a worker-owned union coop and printed with water-based, organic, toxin-free, vegan ink. They’re PVC free, contain no phthalates and are safe for babies! | |
NAMA is a fishermen-led organization building a broad movement toward healthy fisheries, and fishing communities.
We build deep, and trusting relationships with community based fisherman, crew, fishworkers, and allies to create effective policy, and market strategies.
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