2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Wild Oceans, the nation’s oldest non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to marine fisheries. Formerly known as the National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC), Wild Oceans has been at the forefront of ocean fish conservation since 1973, helping to shape national fisheries policy and becoming one of the most influential and respected groups in the conservation community.
Formed by Chris Weld and Frank Carlton’s involvement in the drafting of the original Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, Wild Oceans has been dedicated to uniting fishermen and other ocean advocates to preserve both marine fish and fishing opportunities. Chris and Frank also hired the organization’s first paid employee, Ken Hinman, who would help lead Wild Oceans for the next 41 years, the last 23 as its President. During Ken’s tenure, the organization co-founded numerous alliances uniting fishermen and conservationists, including the Marine Fish Conservation Network, Ocean Wildlife Campaign, “Menhaden Matter” and “Take Marlin Off the Menu.”
Wild Oceans, still NCMC at the time, also took a leading role in the 1996 reauthorization of the Magnuson Act, achieving much-needed conservation priorities such as; required targets and timetables for ending overfishing, a mandate to reduce bycatch in all fisheries, and identification of essential fish habitat. Long-time Wild Oceans Board member Tim Choate says of the organization, “I believe that the future of fishing is conservation on every level – from how we chose to fish, to influencing national and international regulations. For five decades now, Wild Oceans has been leading the way in these efforts by identifying emerging problems, offering science-based solutions and determining where best to advocate for precedent-setting policy changes, all the while drawing in other fishing and environmental NGOs to the cause.”
