Hello Niaz,

My name is Pedro, and a few months into my role as the new program director at NAMA, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share some of the exciting experiences and lessons I've started to gather. But first a little about me: 

I grew up in New York City, far from the ocean and without much encouragement to connect with marine life. That changed in 2021 when I had my first oyster. (I share more in this blog post about how that first briny kiss set me down a new life path.) Since then, I’ve moved to Maine, where my work has focused on uplifting underrepresented voices, safeguarding working waterfronts, and creating opportunities for aspiring, community-based aquaculture farmers from diverse backgrounds.

Throughout my career I’ve held a core belief in the power of collaboration and networks — building partnerships that break down barriers between climate justice, public health, education, and more. My predecessor, Brett Tolley, has done an awesome job bringing me to speed on what NAMA’s work and community are all about. Though I have big shoes to fill (literally!), I’m confident and motivated to support us on our collective path forward.

My first day on the job was in November at the Slow Fish gathering in Charleston, SC, where I jumped in with both feet. That day included a panel discussion with community-driven businesses embodying values-based seafood, featuring folks such as Amanda Swinimer of Dakini Tidal Wilds and Seaweed Commons, Lance Nacio of Anna Marie Shrimp, and Chef Cassandra Loftin of Goodness Gracious Grocery. Their stories continue to shape my perspective.

In February, I joined the NAMA staff retreat in Westerly, RI, where our team had the opportunity to connect, align our priorities, and reaffirm why we’re all here doing this work. One lesson that stood out: advocating for our communities isn’t just about strategy — it’s about people. We intentionally built spaciousness into our retreat agenda to have real conversations and get to know our team members, and our fishing friends from Rhode Island, better as people. We shared meals (yes, even cooking some ourselves), planned for the year ahead, studied the long arc of history, and carved out time to truly understand how our roles connect.

The retreat also helped me understand the patience and momentum required for true, grassroots movement building. When you’re deep in the work of advocating for small- and medium-scale fishermen, it’s easy to get caught in the urgency of the moment. But as we reflected on during our retreat, momentum is rooted; urgency isn’t.

On-the-ground lessons are often the most powerful, and getting to spend time with Frank Salustri, co-founder of Quonnie Fish Cooperative, while we were in Rhode Island, showed me just that. This co-op is an incredible example of fishermen working to bring local seafood to the people — and a reminder that doing things the right way isn’t always the easy way.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges facing commercial fishermen is bureaucracy tied to regulations. For Quonnie, the process of owning their own processing facility hasn’t been easy. But their dedication to expanding community access to fresh, locally caught seafood is unwavering. Their work is proof that patience and persistence are key to changing the landscape of seafood access.

The lessons from my early months in this role positioned me to support a powerful coalition of commercial fishermen, aquaculture practitioners, chefs, and environmental advocates during the Don’t Cage Our Oceans fly-in to Washington, D.C. earlier this month. It was inspiring to witness firsthand how everyone brought their unique perspectives together to move and educate lawmakers on the importance of protecting fishing communities who steward our ocean commons.

These past few months have been a whirlwind of learning, connecting, and finding my place in this movement. What’s been clear from the start is that this work is deeply personal to so many people, and I’m honored and humbled to be a part of it. There’s so much more ahead, and I’m excited to keep learning from and working alongside this incredible community.

To dive deeper into my journey into values-based aquaculture, and what fuels my passion for this work, read my full story on our website.

I’d also love to hear from you — whether it’s about your own experiences, thoughts on policy and strategy, or just to say hi! Let’s keep this momentum going, together.

Until next time,

Pedro

Image: Pedro Altagracia farming oysters. Courtesy of: Pedro Altagracia.

In This Issue

Don't Cage Our Oceans takes D.C.

Register for the Local Seafood Summit

Call to Action from Block Corporate Salmon

Notes from the field

World Forum of Fisher Peoples rejects UN Ocean Conference

News and media highlights

Navigating federal funding and policy changes

Updates and opportunities from our network

Earlier this month, Don’t Cage Our Oceans members from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Gulf, the South Atlantic, New England, and inland communities had the chance to break bread, share goals and stories, and meet with congressional representatives. We’re grateful to those on the Hill that took the time to meet with us and listen to fishing leaders about how to protect our local seafood systems, coastal communities, and marine spaces. For an in-depth account of our visit, check out One Fish Foundation’s blog post. 

Image: Participants of the DCO2 fly-in outside the United Methodist Building during golden hour.

Credit: feini yin.

Registration for the 2025 Local Seafood Summit is open! Hosted by the Local Catch Network, this summit will take place in Gulf Shores, AL, Nov 9-12. It’s a practitioner-centered gathering for all who are working to strengthen community-based seafood systems at the local, regional, and national scales. Register here by May 1 to get the early bird rate, and submit session proposals here by May 17. 

In December, the Block Corporate Salmon campaign celebrated news that AquaBounty, the biotech company responsible for genetically engineered salmon, shuttered its last operating facility. However, in the town of Pioneer, OH, AquaBounty is still pushing forward attempts to build pipelines and obtain a sewage-discharge permit for a proposed land-based facility to raise genetically engineered salmon. The company won’t say why it still wants this permit, or what its future plans are in Pioneer. 

We the public now have until April 6 at 7 PM ET to comment on the company’s draft permit. We’ve shared guidelines for commenting here. 

Image: Williams County Alliance organizers protest AquaBounty outside of a Toledo Port Authority board meeting in December, 2022. Courtesy of: Sherry Fleming.

Image: feini and Lateefah at Apalachicola's waterfront with a shrimp boat in the background.

Credit: feini yin.

The World Forum of Fisher Peoples has released a statement rejecting the UN Ocean Conference that will be held in Nice, France in June 2025. WFFP will instead hold a counter-conference to amplify the voices and solutions of small-scale and traditional fishers, uphold food sovereignty, and push forward the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines.

Image: Delegates at the World Forum of Fisher People's 8th general assembly held in Brasília, Brazil.

Credit: feini yin.

• Inside Edition recently investigated seafood restaurants that use Gulf-themed branding — and found that many are serving imported, farm-raised shrimp. Check out the segment, which includes Lance Nacio of Anna Marie Shrimp and Dave Williams of SeaD Consulting.
• In other shrimp news, a group of lawmakers from the Gulf of Mexico has reintroduced (paywall) the Save Our Shrimpers Act, a bipartisan bill intended to block farmed shrimp imports to the Gulf. 
• Listen to Pete Halmay on San Diego Magazine’s Happy Half Hour podcast, talking about the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market and why boat-to-table is the best way to eat. 
• This new commentary in the journal “Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development” gives an important overview of the cultural rights and needs of Alaska’s Native Peoples. Its co-authors include Melanie Taikupa Brown, a NAMA board member.
• This ProPublica article takes a hard-hitting look at how public corruption has enabled AquaBounty, the biotech company that trademarked genetically engineered salmon, to infiltrate and leave a small Ohio town in limbo.  
• This Mongabay article lays out the current lawsuit filed against corporate giant Cooke Aquaculture for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. Speaking of, Cooke just purchased AquaBounty Canada, including its hatchery facilities.  
• Feedback Global released the “Fishy Finances” report, detailing how big banks and investors are pouring billions into the salmon farming industry, driving enormous growth and profits at the expense of wild fish populations and communities around the globe. 
• Read this account of the World Forum of Fisher People’s 8th General Assembly in Alliance, a magazine for philanthropy and social investment.
• The New York Times (gift link) and Grist both recently published chronicles of the Klamath River dam removal project and the Tribal communities that led the fight.
• The Government of Canada announced its first ever strategy to rebuild wild Atlantic salmon populations and their habitats. 
• Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy’s bill to allow onshore fish farming has gotten a chilly reception (paywall) in a state known for its wild fish and seafood production.  

• The Local Catch Network is inviting community members to share about the impacts of recent federal actions here.  
• Land & Liberation LLC has compiled many helpful resources (tailored to farmers and land stewards) here. 
• Civil Eats has created a Food Policy Tracker. 
• Farm Commons recently held a webinar about how to file an appeal in the case of terminated and frozen USDA funding.
• Our team is in touch with journalists reporting on how budget cuts are affecting fisheries and fishing communities. Reach out to feini at feini@namanet.org if you’d be open to sharing your experiences with reporters. 

Image: Slow Fish 2024 participants at Bowens Island, Charleston, SC. Credit: Ruta Smith.

• The Slow Fish 2024 Event Report is out! Check it out for a recap of this amazing gathering.
• Don’t Cage Our Oceans has submitted comments to NOAA about its proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California Bight. 
• The Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign is inviting fishermen from Alaska, the West Coast, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic to participate in virtual discussions about marine carbon dioxide removal. Stipends are available. 
• Braided River has announced an inaugural grant program to support environmental journalism exploring overlooked and untold stories in Alaska. Proposals are being considered on a rolling basis.
• We are saddened by the recent passing of our friend and colleague through the Local Catch Network, Laughton Elliott-DeAngelis. If you would like to make a contribution to LCN in his name, you can do so here (select the Laughton Elliott-DeAngelis Memorial Fund).

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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!