About Us | The South Atlantic Fishermen's Association

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Together we'll make sure we're fishing for generations.

The South Atlantic Fishermen’s Association is made up of fishermen and seafood lovers from North Carolina to the Florida Keys.

Our tagline Southern Catch represents a commitment to strong fishing communities; fresh, local, sustainable seafood; and connecting seafood lovers and businesses with local fishermen.

MISSION: We work to protect the Southeast’s fishing heritage by advocating for sustainable year-round fishing rules, collecting better fishery science, and connecting consumers and businesses with fishermen, to improve the abundance and accessibility of local seafood.

VISION: We envision strong Southeast fishing communities that provide sustainably-caught local seafood year-round and pass the heritage on to future generations.

Goals

To work within the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council process to develop sustainable fishery management policies based on science and fisherman input.
To contribute to better fisheries science.
To improve the abundance and accessibility of local seafood year-round.
To create a unified voice of fishermen, seafood lovers and businesses from North Carolina to the Florida Keys that advocate for a sustainable Southeast fishing industry.

Leadership

The South Atlantic Fishermen’s Association has eight board members.

President - Matt Ruby, Charleston, SC

Vice President - Phil Conklin, Murrell's Inlet, SC

Treasurer - Chris Conklin, Murrell's Inlet, SC

Secretary - Dave Thomas, St. Matthew's, SC

Larry Jones, Cayce, SC

Jack Cox, Morehead City, NC

What We Do

To achieve our goals of sustainable fishery management, year-round seafood availability and uniting Southeast fishermen, our current key activities include:

Advocate for SAFA goals on behalf of our members within the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council process, including:
- Attending meetings
- Testifying and submitting letters about important fishery amendments
- Meeting with Council members and staff
- Coordinating new SAFA members to participate in the Council process
Advocate for SAFA goals on behalf of our members and with Members of Congress, leaders in National Marine Fisheries Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Connect our membership with local businesses.
Inform the public and serve as trusted resource on fishery policy.

John Schmidt

Fisherman, Gulf Fishermen’s Association
Fishery: Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish

"We implemented our catch share program in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, and it has really been an incredible thing. We are able to rebuild our fishery at the same time that we deliver fresh seafood to the country, and fishermen have real year-round jobs now."

Join the South Atlantic Fishermen's Association