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Craig Pendleton — Speaking for Maine Fishermen by Jeff Della Penna
Now, who in their right mind would ever take a position like that? Craig Pendleton did. After years in the fishing industry, he served as president of the Maine Fishermen’s Cooperative Association, and now works full-time as the Coordinating Director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA). Pendleton is one of a long line of Maine fishermen who have found themselves compelled to turn their backs on their boats (and the sea) to plunge headfirst into the world of political advocacy. He wasn’t the first (nor will he be the last) to get involved with some short term “good will” project that turns into a life’s work. The old saying, “If you give a inch, they’ll take a mile,” isn’t just true of our kids, it goes for advocacy organizations and political action as well. Pendleton, and others like him, try and do what they can. Some are good at it. Some are not. Pendleton seems to fit the job description to a T. Pick up the September 4 edition of BusinessWeek magazine and there’s a picture of Pendleton, standing on the slip in front of his boat, explaining why many New England fishermen are opposed to ITQs (Individual Transferable Quotas). Pendleton is trying to keep fishing issues in the public eye and often that means standing up for the whole fishing industry. The concept for NAMA emerged out of the 1994 lawsuit against the US Department of Commerce and National Marine Fisheries Service to stop the over-fishing of groundfish - - the lawsuit eventually closed Georges Bank, but got Pendleton motivated to become involved with the political process. In 1997 he helped create NAMA. Its mission: to restore and enhance an enduring northwest Atlantic marine system, which supports a healthy diversity and abundance of marine life and human uses. Dedicated to convening diverse stakeholders around solutions to complex marine resource problems, NAMA works with fishermen, conservation organizations, researchers, management entities, businesses, and community members who have a stake in the future of the conservation and sustainable management of the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Nine years later, Pendleton will be the first to admit that the battle has been mostly uphill. “From a fishing point of view, things are worse,” Pendleton explains. “We are seeing some rebuilding of cod stocks along the shore, but many guys are reporting dabs, greysole and monks on the decline . These are the stocks we have depended on while we were supposed to be backing off other stocks, like cod.” Pendleton says that in the mean time, shoreside infrastructure is collapsing. “In Portland there is one fuel and ice company left and the largest gear shop just closed its doors.” But, it’s not all doom and gloom. Pendleton says that from an organizational standpoint, some really good things are happening. “Groups in Down East and Mid-coast Maine have organized and are looking at ways to help themselves and their communities survive,” Pendleton said. “A lot of fishermen are fishing smarter—shorter trips, focusing on quality and good markets, and then spending time enjoying life instead of working 14 hours a day.” And NAMA continues to grow. “We have three full time employees that bring a lot of talent to the organization,” Pendleton said. “I’m proud to reflect and see that NAMA is a well-respected organization, with strong name recognition, solid credibility with the fishermen, elected officials in several states, scientists, educators and managers. I’m extremely proud of the work we are doing. The NAMA Board is made up of some of the finest marine resource advocates in New England and they are 100% committed to our mission.” On a personal side, Pendleton has left behind much of his personal interests for the interests of the community. The question of whether or not it’s all been worth it must rattle around in his head. “The answer depends on what side of the bed I wake up on,” Pendleton joked. “There are times when I miss fishing terribly—like opening day of shrimp season—but then I know that for some reason I have been chosen to do this other work. I have been lucky enough to build a great relationship with Mike Stinchfield, who has run my boat for over 11 years now. We have survived everything Mother Nature and the management council has thrown at us. Recently, I traded boats with Mike Diem from Montauk, New York. I downsized to further cut my expenses and to open up a few more options. We’ll see how that works out. Watching the Susan & Caitlyn leave Portland Harbor was kind of saddening but I have to look at it as a new chapter in this long book. “From a personal point of view, I thrive on respect,” Pendleton continued. “I think I have earned much respect especially from Senator Snowe and Congressman Allen of Maine. I believe that my fishing peers are finally seeing the strategy NAMA introduced when we built this organization—of embracing all marine resource users to fight for a common purpose. Our vision and commitment to fishermen and the communities that depend on them will eventually pay off as others see that we must rebuild fish stocks for us to prosper.” Like most non-profits, funding is always an issue. “Many fishermen are not so well off financially and so it is not in our plans to try and get them to help pay for NAMA services, but eventually we hope to devise a plan that encourages fishermen and conservationists to help cover our costs,” Pendleton said. “In the long term, we hope to work with fishermen to create a more efficient distribution system and marketing program for their high quality product. Second, and of equal importance, we want to make sure that the rules being created to protect the fishery, do not wipe the people we are fighting for, out of the picture. It amazes me that we still reward the people who catch the most to the detriment of other users.” Down the road, Pendleton sees NAMA leading a larger and stronger coalition of groups and individuals into the next rulemaking sessions of the New England Fisheries Council. “We will be working with anyone who wants to commit the time and energy to shift the way we manage marine resource to a system that makes more sense and one that actually rewards people who make the sacrifices for conservation and restoration of the stocks,” Pendleton promised. For himself? “Time will tell,” Pendleton said. “I’m too damn stubborn to give up fighting for what I believe to be right. I’m thankful and humbled that I have the opportunity to lead such a great organization.” |
