Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Inc.

NAMA is a fishermen-led organization working at the intersection of marine conservation and social, economic, and environmental justice. We're working to build a movement toward a healthy ocean, a just seafood system, and community-based fisheries that are diverse, fair, and equitable for all. OUR VALUES * The Power of Small and Medium-scale community-based Fisherman Small and medium scale community-based fishermen bring high value to to marine ecosystems, coastal communities, working waterfronts, local and regional economies, and our food systems. They must be the leading voice in finding solutions that support new approaches to managing fisheries and seafood markets. * Dignity for all People Marginalization of any peoples is rooted in a long history of racism, exclusion, and oppression. All those in our seafood value chain and fishing communities must be in control of the price they are paid, be paid fair wages, and afforded lives with dignity. * Human and Environmental Issues are One Our treatment of humans is inextricably tied to our treatment of the earth and all its inhabitants. Measuring sustainability must include the inexcusable damage of modern day slavery, loss of fishing traditions, and equitable food access. * Equitable Access and Fair Markets Existing market strategies threaten the continued survival of small and medium-scale community-based fishermen, and equitable access by all to seafood caught by these fishermen. OUR VISION We see a future where a powerful network of community-based fishermen, crew, fishworkers, and their allies are organized effectively toward a future where: * Marine ecosystems are protected from industrialization, privatization, and over-exploitation. * Vibrant and viable fishing communities are thriving and supporting community-based fishermen. * Scale of fishing operations, and the gears used to fish – both commercial and recreational – match the scales of the ecosystems within which fishing occurs. * Fishermen are economically empowered as the compensation for their catch is meeting their true cost of operations. * Fishworkers along the seafood value chain and crew are paid fairly, have safe working conditions free of threats, racism and intimidation, and have a voice in the workplace. * Diversity of species that reflect fishermen’s true catch is moving into local and regional food systems first. * Transparent, participatory, and localized decision-making processes are in place to govern and manage fisheries. * Scientific research genuinely includes community-based fishermen. * People of all races, incomes, cultural backgrounds, and ethnicities can afford food from the ocean. OUR THEORY OF CHANGE The ocean is in an unhealthy state due to multiple stressors including: climate change, toxic pollution, clear cutting of forests, ocean acidification, fishing activities, industrial agriculture, industrial mining and drilling, seismic testing, privatization, consolidation, and more. We need to address all of these issues in order to have a holistic approach to marine conservation and fisheries management. Small and medium scale community-based fishermen must be the leading voice for the changes we seek. In order to do this they must be supported by networks of diverse stakeholders that are well-connected, aligned around shared values, action oriented, and working from the bottom up. We must organize deliberately and work at the “speed of trust” to ensure long-term connectivity and alignment within our networks. We leverage the purchasing power of the seafood market to change necessary policies on local, national, and international level that address both fishing and non-fishing issues. We shift purchasing power to increase market demand for the true catch of the fishermen we work with. This collective force broadens our base of support to create the changes we believe are necessary to realize our vision.