The coronavirus pandemic has created many challenges and opportunities for community-based fisheries and seafood direct marketers around the country. Hear from small-scale fishermen and leaders in the fishing community about how they and other direct marketers have addressed the impacts of the coronavirus, insights about consumer buying trends, and ideas for how other independent fishermen can better prepare themselves for the future and help create a more resilient seafood supply chain. 

Speakers

Joshua Stoll - Assistant Professor of Marine Policy in the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine

Joshua has been engaged in values-based seafood marketing for over a decade and is the co-founder of the Local Catch Network. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Bates College, a Masters in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University, and a PhD in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maine. Prior to returning to Maine to start his current position, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Program at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Sweden.

Linda Behnken - Longline and troll fisherman; founder of Alaskans Own CSF; Executive Director of Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association

Linda has fished commercially off Alaska since 1982, both as a deckhand and owner/operator. She has been at the helm of ALFA since 1991 and served on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) from 1992-2001. Linda helped launch the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust, which invests in fishing access opportunities for community-based fishermen committed to sustainable fishing practices, and Alaskan’s Own, the first Community Supported Fishery in Alaska. Linda was awarded the National Fisherman Highliner award in 2009 for her work promoting healthy marine ecosystems and strong coastal communities, and in 2016 Linda was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood by President Obama. In 2019, ALFA received the Lowell Thompson Jr Award from the Alaska Conservation Foundation for the organizations outstanding contribution to conservation in Alaska. In 2020, Linda received the Heinz Foundation award for the Environment.  

Pete Granger - Reef net fisherman; Local Catch Executive Committee Member; retired Seafood Industry Specialist and Program Leader for Washington Sea Grant

Pete is retired as Program Leader - Marine Advisory Services for the Washington Sea Grant Program and Seafood Industry Specialist at the University of Washington. He has extensive background in the commercial seafood industry, having fished commercially in Puget Sound and Alaska and processed and marketing seafood products for several companies. He was Sales Director for Seafood Producers Cooperative in Bellingham 1989-1993. He has also headed three different fisheries trade associations.  He currently serves as President of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County and is also on the Executive Committee for the Local Catch Network. He has a BS in Oceanography and an MBA in International Business from the University of Washington. He continues to fish commercially on Puget Sound as a reef-net fisherman at Lummi Island near Bellingham, Washington State.  Pete and his wife, Debbie, live in Bellingham.

Matt Aboussie - Bristol Bay fisherman and direct marketer; PR consultant with Rising Tide Communications

Matt Aboussie has over ten years of experience commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, Alaska and direct-marketing Alaska salmon to customers nationwide. He currently works as the Media and Partnership Director at Rising Tide Communications based in Anchorage, with clients that include the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, and more.

Moderator

Jessica Hathaway, Editor in Chief, National Fisherman

Jessica Hathaway is the editor in chief of National Fisherman. She has been covering the fishing industry for 14 years, serves on the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s Communications Committee and is a National Fisheries Conservation Center board member.