Policy & Advocacy Endowment

For more than three decades, Fishermen’s Alliance has overcome tremendous challenges to protect Cape Cod’s fishing traditions, preserve a way of life, and support the peninsula’s economy—while modernizing the industry to create sustainable, thriving businesses.

In 2023, we were proud to launch an Endowment Capital Campaign, Charting Our Course for the Future. This endowment will ensure Cape Cod fishermen always have professional representation at the local, state and federal levels.

In 2025 we hired an independent consultant to take stock of our impact on fisheries management and the fishing community. The findings show that Cape Cod’s fishing community remains resilient. Despite industry-wide declines, Cape Cod fishermen have maintained their share of actively fished permits in Massachusetts and have held steady in their share of catch volume and value across New England.

Beyond improved fisheries management, our programs deliver measurable economic benefits. Over the past six years, we have provided more than $23.4 million in direct benefits to the community through access to fishing opportunities, discounted quota and permits, free training, research projects that hire fishermen, and our Small Boats, Big Taste program which provides chowder and stews to food pantries across the region.

Our work is far from over, but this assessment reinforces that we are on the right path. We are more than halfway to our $2.5 million goal, and we need your help to reach it.

The Prospect Hill Foundation has generously pledged to match up to $100,000 of new contributions to the endowment raised in 2025.

Learn more on our efforts to build a $2.5 million endowment: