We are Seafood Harvesters of America.
We believe in unity, stewardship, and accountability. We advocate for healthy fish stocks and profitable commercial fishing businesses.
We believe in unity, stewardship, and accountability. We advocate for healthy fish stocks and profitable commercial fishing businesses.
Harvesters is a national commercial fishing organization founded by fishermen and we’re dedicated to addressing the unique issues facing the seafood industry. Our members fish in nearly every region of our country—they reflect the diversity of our coastal communities, the complexity of our marine environments, and the enormous potential of the commercial fishing industry.
We take our responsibility as stewards of our nation’s marine resources seriously and we work to advance policies and regulations that promote sustainable fisheries. We serve as a direct connection to the ocean for the American people and we want to ensure there is a healthy supply of seafood for future generations to enjoy.
We strongly support science and accountability as key principles at the center of our management and policy framework. When we account for our catch by providing robust, timely catch data to mangers and scientists, we improve fisheries science and management. With science and accountability at the heart of our management framework, our businesses can adapt, plan, and persist into the future.
In 2012, a group of commercial fishermen who would become the Harvesters’ founding members came together in Baltimore with a vision for the future of our industry.
These fishermen came from all fleets of the commercial fishing industry—some operated 120’ crab or catcher vessels in the Bering Sea, while others managed 34’ jig boats off the Carolina coasts and red snapper boats in the Gulf of Mexico, and some fished for groundfish off the West Coast and New England.
Despite their different fisheries and geographic regions, these fishermen quickly realized that a united voice was needed in Washington, D.C. to represent their fishing businesses, their livelihoods, and their legacies.
We believe thriving fisheries help build stronger coastal communities.
Seafood Harvesters of America was born out of this recognition and from a shared belief that our voices were stronger together. Since our official launch in June 2014, we have defended the core principles of the Magnuson Stevens Act, advocated for policies to improve accountability and reduce industry costs, and supported robust funding for NOAA's core mission—including surveys, stock assessments, and Fishery Management Councils and Commissions.
We are proud of the work we have accomplished, but there is still work to be done. Our members face changing environments—both regulatory and marine. Together, we can help steer our industry towards a sustainable, economically vibrant future.
We take pride in harvesting our nation’s seafood. With eyes on the future, we continue to advocate for commercial fishermen and our fisheries resources.
photo credit: NYT
President
Chris Brown has fished out of Point Judith, Rhode Island for nearly fifty years. He is president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association and the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, and serves on the board of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.
In 2016, Chris was selected to be a "Champion of Change” by the Obama Administration for his work in sustainable fisheries. Chris Brown is a founding member of the Harvesters and served as its first board president.
Chris represents Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association.
Vice President
Hannah Heimbuch is a commercial fisherman from Alaska. She and her wife, both lifelong Alaskan harvesters, operate a salmon set net operation on Kodiak Island. Hannah is a board member for the North Pacific Fisheries Association, and works with a variety of fisheries organizations across Alaska and the U.S. Outside of fishing season, Hannah is a fisheries-focused communications and policy consultant. She provides a variety of advocacy, media engagement, writing, research, strategic planning, organizational development and other public affairs services to fisheries and oceans centered organizations with either a North Pacific or National reach.
Hannah represents the North Pacific Fisheries Association.
Secretary-Treasurer
Matt Alward started fishing as a crew member almost three decades ago and has been running his own boat since 2004. Based out of Homer, Alaska Matt raised his family on the back deck of his seiner fishing for salmon, herring, and halibut. He has been very engaged in fishery policy; he is currently the president of United Fishermen of Alaska as well as serving on the boards of numerous commercial fishing advocacy organizations. Matt also owns a marine trades business building and repairing purse seines and is engaged in the shoreside section of the industry as well.
Matt is an Independent Harvester Member.
Chris Conklin is a 2nd generation commercial fisherman and owner of Seven Seas Seafood Market in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Chris manages both wholesale and retail business for Seven Seas, as well as a fleet of commercial fishing vessels Mostly in the Snapper-Grouper fishery. He served 3 full terms (9 Years) on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as an advocate for the Commercial Fishing Industry. When not busy with his seafood business, Chris is an avid recreational angler, often participating in area fishing tournaments. Chris is a 2008 graduate of The Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Chris represents the South Atlantic Fishermen's Association.
Eric Kingma has served as the Executive Director of the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) since 2019. He has worked in fisheries management in Hawaii for over 20-years including for the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and US Coast Guard District 14 Office of Law Enforcement. Eric serves on several fisheries committees and advisory groups including the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Offshore Wind and Fisheries, NOAA’s American Fisheries Advisory Committee, and the respective US Advisory Committees to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. Eric has an undergraduate Biology degree, Masters of Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in international fisheries law and policy.
Beth Casoni is the Executive Director for the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. Beth has been actively involved with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team and the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management for over 10 years as well as numerous other Committees and working groups. Over the years Beth has participated in many offshore wind and whale meetings. Her approach and perceptive nature make her an asset to both the commercial fishing industry and the Ocean Planning process throughout the region.
Beth’s past professional experiences range from sales, customer service and law enforcement and she uses all of these experiences to better serve the commercial fisherman. Beth grew up in a large fishing port and has commercial fishermen in her family. Her personal experiences give her the heart and drive to keep moving forward with purpose and determination to better represent commercial fisherman.
Paddy O’Donnell is an active fisherman with over 41 years of commercial fishing experience. He has fished across the globe - Ireland, Scotland, California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska - and with multiple gear types including trawl, troll, gillnet, and longline. When Paddy is not on the water, he has been a committed industry leader, serving as: President of Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association and the North Pacific Rockfish Cooperative; Member of the NPFMC Advisory Panel, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Kodiak Advisory Committee, and the Monashka Bay Road Service Board; and Alternate Member of the City of Kodiak Port and Harbor Advisory Board and United Fishermen of Alaska. He is 30-year resident of Kodiak, Alaska.
Paddy represents the Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association.
Lisa Damrosch comes from a multi-generational fishing family in Half Moon Bay, California, where her son now carries on the tradition as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman. With deep roots in the industry, Lisa has spent many years advocating for commercial fishing interests and working in fisheries management at both state and federal levels. She is the Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), representing commercial fishing port associations along the West Coast and currently serves on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Dungeness Crab Gear Working Group. She has led programs such as the Dungeness Crab Lost Gear Recovery Program and partnered in establishing the California Groundfish Collective, where she helped implement an Electronic Monitoring Exempted Fishing Permit and supported a federal regulatory package now in effect. Lisa also brings seafood business experience in marketing, sales, logistics, and operations. She has always believed that thriving commercial fishing fleets and conservation can and should coexist, and that the economic, cultural, and food security contributions of commercial fishing should be protected and celebrated. This philosophy continues to guide PCFFA’s work under her leadership.
Lisa represents Half Moon Bay Groundfish Marketing Association
Paul Doremus is the Vice President for Policy and Sustainability Strategy at Trident Seafoods. In collaboration with Trident’s executive leadership team and functional area leaders, he is responsible for developing and executing the company’s federal and international policy strategy, contributing to Trident’s sustainability and social responsibility strategy, and advising on strategic developments in global seafood markets. Before joining Trident, Paul served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations for NOAA Fisheries. He has long been an advocate for improving the resilience and competitiveness of the US seafood sector and continues to work across industry, government, and nonprofit sectors to provide a predictable and efficient regulatory environment, a robust scientific and technical infrastructure, and greater public awareness and acceptance of sustainable seafood. Paul received his Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University and has over twenty years of experience in Federal science, technology, and environmental policy and management.
Paul represents Trident Seafoods.
Buddy Guindon is the owner of Katie’s Seafood House and Restaurant in Galveston, Texas. He has worked in the fishing industry for 30+ years as both a fisherman and a fish house owner-operator, and is a founding board member of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. He is a tireless advocate for demonstrating how sustainable fishing practices can best secure the future of Gulf fisheries, and he has repeatedly testified before Congress on those fishing practices. Buddy is a founding member of Harvesters and former Treasurer.
Buddy represents the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance.
Heather has been working in and for the commercial fishing industry for over twenty-five years. She is currently Executive Director for Harvesters’ member organization Midwater Trawlers Cooperative (MTC) and represents 33 trawl catcher vessels that harvest Pacific whiting and Groundfish off the west coast and Pollock, cod and other Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. In the North Pacific Heather currently serves as an Advisory Panel member to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
Prior to working for MTC, Heather was the Deputy Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, she ran her own consulting firm for many years and ran the Community Seafood Initiative until 2012 when she joined MTC. Heather has been leading a coalition to successfully address concerns about offshore wind energy development on the West Coast. Harvesters will be well served by Heather’s extensive relationships and experience in Washington, DC and leadership in the industry. Originally from Massachusetts, Heather lives in Newport Oregon.
Heather represents Midwater Trawlers Cooperative.
Brad Pettinger has participated in the West Coast commercial fishing industry for more than fifty years as a crewman, skipper, and vessel-owner. He has served on numerous fishing industry committees and commissions during his career and worked for 15 years as the director of the Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC), departing that position in June 2018. Brad has served on the Pacific Fishery Management Council since 2017.