We are the Seafood Harvesters of America.

Commercial fishermen and seafood processors united to ensure a sustainable and profitable U.S. seafood industry.

 
 
 
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United

Seafood Harvesters of America is the leading national voice of the U.S. commercial seafood industry. Founded by fishermen, we represent both harvesters and processors from nearly every region, united by a commitment to sustainable fisheries, thriving coastal communities, and a strong future for American seafood.

Stewards

We take seriously our responsibility as stewards of America’s marine resources, working to advance policies that support sustainable fisheries and a robust domestic seafood supply. As a direct connection to the ocean for the American public, we’re committed to ensuring future generations can enjoy healthy, abundant seafood.

Accountable

We are committed to science and accountability as guiding principles at the core of our management and policy framework. By providing robust, timely catch data to managers and scientists, we strengthen fisheries science, improve management, and increase future returns. With science and accountability at the heart of our system, our businesses are better equipped to adapt, plan, and thrive into the future. 

 
photo credit: J McCarthy

photo credit: J McCarthy

 

Our Story

In 2012, a group of commercial fishermen gathered in Baltimore with a shared vision for the future of American seafood. These founding members of what would become the Seafood Harvesters of America came from every corner of the industry—from 120-foot crab vessels in the Bering Sea to 34-foot jig boats off the Carolina coast, red snapper boats in the Gulf of Mexico, and groundfish operations off the West Coast and New England.

Despite differences in gear, region, and fishery, they all recognized a common truth: the commercial fishing industry needed a united voice in Washington, D.C.—one that could speak for their businesses, their livelihoods, and the future of sustainable, profitable U.S. seafood.

From that vision, Seafood Harvesters of America was born.

In the decade since our official launch, we’ve grown from a group of founding members to the national organization representing the broader U.S. seafood industry—including commercial harvesters and processors from every region of the country.

We have defended the conservation principles of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, advanced accountability measures that strengthen fisheries management while reducing costs to industry, and championed robust federal funding for NOAA’s core science and management programs—including surveys, stock assessments, and Fishery Management Councils and Commissions.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to ensuring that America’s seafood industry continues to thrive—rooted in sustainability, driven by science, and united in purpose.

 
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Accountability is the cornerstone of anything good that has happened in fisheries management in the last ten or fifteen years. Without [accountability] we sever our relationship with science, and we strand the investment that American taxpayers make into science that guides our fisheries. We waste our dollars.
— Chris Brown, Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association

photo credit: NYT

 
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 Our Leadership

 

Board Members


staff