Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA) is a fishery conservation organization based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Besides protecting local bodies of water, the group also endorses left-of-center political initiatives and works with left-of-center advocacy partners.

Background

Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance was founded in 1995 by fishermen from New England to protect the marine resources in the ocean and local waterways. It sought to implement a “decentralized governance mode” into the fishing community’s management structure where community members would share the power of managing New England’s fisheries. Craig Pendleton was the original leader of the group. ¹

Activities

Besides protecting New England’s fisheries and bodies of water, Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance advocates left-of-center political initiatives. It advocates for social, environmental, economic, and food justice within the context of marine conservation and claims that some people who live and work in fishing communities feel they are “under siege” or discriminated against because of their skin color, religion, ethnicity, clothing, language, gender, sexual orientation, and more. It aims to create a “safe space for diverse voices to be heard” for those who feel anxious about the state of politics and recent US elections, which it claims have created “an atmosphere of uncertainty.” ²

NAMA’s main initiatives include providing support to the Fish Locally Collaborative, fighting against the alleged corporate takeover of the ocean, building economic empowerment, advocating for food justice and racial equity in the food system, engaging the public, and partnering with similar organizations. ³

Declaration for American Democracy

Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance is a member of Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), a coalition comprised of over 250 groups that support its proposed Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. The act, named after the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), would essentially federalize all elections, strengthen the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and remove many conventional election integrity measures. It would require states to allow early voting, mass vote by mail (not only for absentees), and lenient voter ID laws, emergency measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, as universal and permanent aspects of every future election in the United States. It would additionally make Election Day a federal holiday, introduce automatic same-day voter registration, and establish federal protections to prevent state and local election officials from receiving “undue partisan influence and control.” ⁴

DFAD claims that the Freedom to Vote Act would ensure what it considers fair redistricting nationwide and promises allegedly nonpartisan election oversight from the FEC. Furthermore, it would require super PACs, 501(c)(4) groups, and other organizations to disclose all donors and would effectively shut down donor advised funds. The aim of this would be to restrict campaign speech by overturning the First Amendment protections for associational and business speech confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. It also aims to set up a fund to finance ongoing innovations in democracy and election infrastructure. The fund would be replenished by penalty fees paid by states who commit infractions against new election laws. Each state would get a disbursement from the fund to finance “eligible democracy and election-related investments.” ⁵

Funding

Despite the fact that it refuses contributions from the government and from most corporations, Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance partners with 1% For the Planet, New Economy Coalition, and the American Sustainable Business Council to find donors that align with its mission. ⁶

Since 2008, NAMA has received funding from the Andrus Family Fund, Animal Agriculture Reform Collaborative, Ben & Jerry Foundation, Broad Reach Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, Claneil Foundation, Davis Conservation Foundations, the Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund, Elima B. Sewall Foundation, Farm Aid, Findlay Freeman Fund, Food and Farm Communications Fund, Grace Communications Fund, the Herman and Frieda L. Miller Foundation, the Island Foundation, the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust Fund at The Boston Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, the Nell Newman Foundation, Norman Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, 11th Hour Project, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, the Whitehead Foundation, Tamarind Foundation, and Tides Foundation. ⁷

Leadership

As of 2023, Paul Bogart was the president of Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance. Bogart is also the executive director of Health Care Without Harm. He claims to have “worked for decades alongside many talented people in organized labor, indigenous rights, and the environmental movement.” ⁸ Other members of the executive committee include vice president Renee Flesch, treasurer Jamey Lionette, and clerk Lisa Fernandes. ⁹

1. “Our History.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/our-history.
2. “What we do.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/what-we-do-0.
3. “What we do.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/what-we-do-0.
4. “Declaration for American Democracy.” DFADCoalition.org. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/. Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20230204223830/https://dfadcoalition.org/.
5. “Declaration for American Democracy.” DFADCoalition.org. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/. Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20230204223830/https://dfadcoalition.org/.
6. “About Us.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/about-us.
7. “Our Funders.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/our-funders.
8. “Our Board of Trustees.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/our-board-of-trustees.
9. “Our Board of Trustees.” Namanet.org. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://www.namanet.org/our-board-of-trustees.