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Fisheries Policy
We believe in community-focused and stewardship-driven solutions that
will shape the future of fisheries in Maine and beyond.
MCFA works with policymakers at the local, state, regional, and federal levels, including those at the Maine Department of Marine Resources, New England Fisheries Management Council, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and elected state and federal representatives.
MCFA recognizes that fishermen are the experts, and our goal is to make sure their voices are heard. With fishermen taking the lead, we advocate for policies that work for Maine, the Gulf of Maine, and the next generation of fishermen.
We are a member of the Fishing Communities Coalition, which represents community-based, small scale commercial fishing organizations collectively representing more than 1,000 independent fishermen and business owners from Maine to Alaska. Together, these groups advocate for the sustainable harvest and management of American fisheries to ensure a thriving marine economy for generations to come.
MCFA focuses its efforts on groundfish, scallop, forage fish, and working waterfront policies. However, we also engage in areas where significant impact can be made for Maine's fishermen and fishing communities. Read on for the latest in our fisheries policy and advocacy work.
USDA Announces $8 Billion Relief Program for Farmers… and Maybe Fishermen
Help share fuel cost data with USDA to open up this relief program for fishermen
Ben Martens
Oct 212 min read
Charting Maine’s Working Waterfront
Over the last year, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) worked with the Maine Coastal Program to develop a methodology for documenting the critical infrastructure that supports commercial fishing and aquaculture along Maine’s coast. The resulting report, Charting the Working Waterfront: A Matrix for Understanding Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture Access, establishes a foundation for understanding what infrastructure exists, how it is used, and why different sites
Monique Coombs
Oct 162 min read
Maine Coast Dock Talk | Understanding the New England Fishery Management Council's New Risk Policy
This year, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is putting a new risk policy in place. The new Risk Policy will shape how the Council weighs scientific uncertainty when it sets catch limits and makes management decisions for New England's fisheries. For Maine's commercial fishermen, and especially the small-boat fleet that depends on stable, predictable access to groundfish and other stocks, understanding how this policy works is essential to understanding where
Hannah MacDonald
Sep 241 min read
"It's Time to Let Young People In": A Conversation with Alex Todd on Maine's New Scallop Apprenticeship
MCFA supports measures that expand real access to Maine's fisheries for the people who intend to fish them. Access to fisheries is essential to continue the important work and the heritage of this industry, especially ensuring that people can effectively and safely enter the fishery. Recently, there has been good movement towards improving access for potential scallop fishermen. Alex Todd at the helm For what this new apprenticeship looks like from the helm, we sat down with
Hannah MacDonald
Sep 1710 min read
September NEFMC Meeting Highlights
Fisheries management happens at the New England Fishery Management Council meetings and there is often so much to track. These decisions shape what can happen on the water and trickles into our coastal communities. A lot happens at these meetings and it's a lot to digest. Below you will find updates from the meeting that we think will impact Maine fishing communities most. Executive Order 14276 Response and 2027 Priorities: September 16, 2026 Background Executive Order 14276,
Hannah MacDonald
Sep 166 min read
Details on upcoming June NEFMC Meeting
The June meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council is being held in Mystic, CT at the Hilton Hotel and virtually. The meeting will be held from Tuesday, June, 23 - Thursday, June 25. Important updates are below, with the full agenda at the bottom of this post.
Hannah MacDonald
Jun 176 min read
The Next 50 Years: Reflecting on the Magnuson-Stevens Act at 50
This April marks a monumental milestone for our oceans and the people who make their living upon them: the 50th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Passed on April 13, 1976, the MSA was a declaration of American maritime sovereignty. It reclaimed our waters by establishing the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and created a unique, constituent-driven regional council system that remains the global gold standard for sustainab
Ben Martens
Apr 294 min read
Fishery Updates: NGOM Scallop & Halibut
With the NGOM scallop season officially closed, the focus turns to management. We are keeping our finger on the pulse of the discussions of potential restructuring of the fishery, including the creation of new areas in the Gulf of Maine with different sub-TAC allocations. The Council is exploring splitting the NGOM into two or more sub-areas each with their own separate catch limits and set-asides and with potential closed areas as well.
Hannah MacDonald
Apr 203 min read
Fishing Communities Coalition applauds USDA Seafood Office announcement
New seafood focus signals growing recognition of fishermen as essential contributors to America’s food system and rural economies The Fishing Communities Coalition (FCC), a national alliance representing commercial fishing organizations coast-to-coast, celebrates the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’s announcement of the establishment of an Office of Seafood at the US Department of Agriculture. “For the first time ever, the US Department of Agriculture will have an o
Kat Libby
Apr 164 min read
Info on April 2026 NEFMC Meeting
The April meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council is being held in Portland at the Holiday in by the Bay. The meeting will be held from Tuesday, April 14 - Thursday, April 16. Important updates are below, with the full agenda at the bottom of this post.
Ben Martens
Apr 75 min read
Fishermen from Maine and Across the Country Make Their Case in Washington
MCFA was represented by (L to R) Vincent Balzano, Noah Oppenheim, Devyn Campbell, Ben Martens, Hannah MacDonald, Mason Cushman, and Karan Cushman (behind the camera!) Last week, MCFA joined our partners in the Fishing Communities Coalition (FCC) for our March fly-in to Washington, D.C. The FCC brings together community-based fishing organizations from across the country. While our fisheries may differ by region, many of the challenges we face are the same: underinvestment in
Hannah MacDonald
Mar 234 min read
20 Years of MCFA: Hope, Resilience, and Perseverance — Together
Remarks from our 20th Birthday Party, held on January 15, 2026 Over 150 people celebrated with us! Thank you to everyone who came out this evening to celebrate 20 years of MCFA. We have many of our board members here tonight, past and present. I am so appreciative of the time and energy and care that you put into your charge of stewarding our mission, and the empowerment you have shared with our team to go and get stuff done. Thank you to our many partners in the room. Fisher
Ben Martens
Feb 124 min read
National Coalition Launches to Support Next Generation Fishermen
The founding members of the NFFC, including MCFA's Emily Coffin (in the pink dress) Introducing the National Future Fishermen Coalition (NFFC) We’re excited to share the official launch of the National Future Fishermen Coalition (NFFC) — a first-of-its-kind national alliance dedicated to securing a vibrant future for commercial fishing by investing in the men and women who will take the wheel. The next generation of fishermen are eager to step into their own wheelhouses a
Kat Libby
Jun 18, 20252 min read
MCFA Staff in DC: Advocacy, Optimism and Concern
At the close of April, I had the privilege, alongside MCFA’s Seafood & Fisheries Policy Coordinator Emily Coffin, of representing MCFA in Washington D.C. as part of the Fishing Communities Coalition.
Ben Martens
May 13, 20253 min read
Five Reasons to be Optimistic for Fisheries: Earth Day 2025
Often, we get stuck in a negative loop about what has been lost, what is at risk, or what has changed for the worse. But lost in these stories is the opportunity, hope, and optimism that I feel every day in the work we do to build a brighter future for Maine's fishing communities.
Ben Martens
Apr 22, 20254 min read
A Demo Day for Ropeless Fishing Gear
Emily and Evan stand at left as the demo prepares to get underway. Last Tuesday, I headed to Stonington with my colleagues Emily, Emerson, and Evan to join a crew from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Sea Grant, and the Island Institute demonstrating different styles of ropeless fishing gear. It was clear from the minute we arrived that this demo wasn’t about convincing anyone that they should use ropeless. There was open ackno
Jill Harlow
Apr 9, 20254 min read
New Fisheries Trust of Maine Will Ensure Access for Generations of Maine Fishermen
Nonprofits partner with fishermen to keep groundfish quota in the state Brunswick, ME – The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) and the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are proud to announce the formation of the Fisheries Trust of Maine. This new MCFA program will anchor federal groundfish permits in Maine, helping to ensure long-term access for local fishermen. To support the launch of the Trust, TNC transferred three permits with over 500,000 pounds of a
Kat Libby
Apr 2, 20253 min read
Maine Fisheries Represented in DC Meetings
The Fishing Community Coalition and MCFA visited Capitol Hill to talk about fisheries during the first week of Marc
Kat Libby
Mar 25, 20253 min read
UPDATE: Maine Sea Grant Funding Restored
We are pleased to share that the Department of Commerce has agreed to renegotiate funding for Maine Sea Grant. At the urging of Senator Collins, Senator King, and Representative Pingree, Secretary Lutnick is directing NOAA to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the work to be performed by Maine Sea Grant to ensure that it focuses on advancing Maine’s coastal economies, working waterfronts and sustainable fisheries. “We are celebrating a win for our coastal communities and
Ben Martens
Mar 6, 20252 min read
PRESS RELEASE: Maine’s Fishing Industry Shocked by Shuttering of Sea Grant Program
...federal government shuttered the Maine Sea Grant program.
Ben Martens
Mar 1, 20252 min read
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