The National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC) is the USA’s oldest public advocacy group dedicated exclusively to conserving ocean fish, such as swordfish, marlin, sharks, tuna, striped bass, menhaden and herring. We are unique among marine conservation groups in that we are supported by conservation-minded fishermen and put the resource first, always taking positions based on what’s best for the future of the oceans. We ally ourselves, formally and informally, with environmentalists and fishermen in common cause. Since our founding in 1973, we have been a catalyst for change in ocean fishery policy; changing the way we think, from a single-species focus on maximizing catches to a broader, ecosystem-based approach that reflects our increasing knowledge and expanding circle of concern for all marine life while promoting sustainable recreational and commercial fisheries.  View NCMC's staff and board. 

NCMC is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and all donations are tax-deductible under federal law. We are funded by contributions from individual members and project grants from private foundations (view our supporters).  We are supported by fishermen, scientists, divers, boaters and wildlife enthusiasts.

Ocean fish are wild creatures just as magnificent and fascinating as any marine or terrestrial mammal.  They are an irreplaceable natural resource of enormous social and economic value, as well as major components of the ocean ecosystem.  As a renewable resource, they can enhance our quality of life indefinitely, but only if used and conserved wisely.

That's why it is essential that conservation-minded citizens be informed about the overfishing problem and other issues threatening marine fish populations (See The Threats to Our Ocean Fisheries) and get behind the NCMC's efforts to:

• combat the overfishing problem and restore depleted fish populations to healthy levels
• promote sustainable use policies that balance commercial, recreational and ecological values
• modify or eliminate wasteful fishing practices
• improve our understanding of fish and their role in the marine environment
• preserve coastal habitat and water quality.

Our efforts focus on educating the public; developing proactive conservation policies; identifying problems and finding solutions; sponsoring conferences and workshops; networking with like-minded fishing and environmental organizations; and producing books and position papers on cutting-edge issues.  The following are our five conservation program areas:

• Bring Back the Big Fish.  Restoring and conserving the ocean's giant fish: billfish, swordfish, tunas and sharks. Read more about this program.
  
  
• Conserving Marine Ecosystems.  Expanding traditional single-species management to an ecosystem-based approach.  This program includes our Forage First campaign to conserve prey species like herring, squid and mackerel.  Our Save the Stripers campaign works specifically to bring back menhaden, the stripers' main food supply, in the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid-Atlantic.
  
  
• Fisheries Reform.  Promoting proactive laws and policies governing the utilization of marine resources.

• Ahead of the Curve.  Identifying opportunities to combat the overfishing problem and advocating precautionary management.

• Resources and Education to Conserve Fish.  Informing and educating the public with the latest information and newest ideas on current marine conservation issues.

  Get more detail on our five conservation programs

See NCMC’S Recent Accomplishments to learn how these NCMC programs have helped make fish conservation an environmental priority.

Read an article on NCMC's beginnings from the November 1975 edition of Salt Water Sportsman.

Be sure to visit our Links page, a resource of other organizations involved in marine fish conservation.