Fishing Communities Coalition Celebrates International Fisher Women’s Day and the Women Who Keep Our Fishing Industry Thriving

November 5th, 2025 is the first annual International Fisher Women’s Day. This is an annual day of recognition declared by the World Forum of Fisher Peoples, which represents more than 10 million traditional, artisanal, and small-scale seafood harvesters globally. Fishing Communities Coalition members shared the following reflections recognizing women in fisheries:

“While recognition of women in fisheries may be relatively new, we have long served as the hands and compass that built and sustained them,” said Jamie O’Connor, Deputy Executive Director of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council and a fifth-generation set-net captain from Bristol Bay, Alaska. “From the uncounted generations of our Indigenous friends and neighbors in Alaska, to my great-grandmother Eileen Ball and my five-year-old niece learning to pick fish, women have not only brought fish to our families and the world, but also managed the books, organized the provisions, rallied the coalitions, and navigated the local-to-global complexities required to protect the places, people, and ways of life we love. I am honored to celebrate our collective contributions and the foremothers who led the way—fish on.”

“In a male-dominated industry, you tend to stand out. I’ll never forget comments that made me question my ability or whether I belonged in this line of work,” said Aubrey Church, Fisheries Policy Director at the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance. “But being surrounded by women – from those hauling gear and running boats to those leading in science, policy and advocacy – is deeply inspiring. Working alongside women who are so fiercely passionate about their livelihoods and commercial fishing is truly beautiful. Thank you for your enthusiasm, dedication and devotion to healthy fisheries and vibrant coastal communities. Your resilience, and care for the ocean motivates me, and so many others, every single day.”

“I’m thrilled to see women recognized for their contributions to the fishing industry, but it’s important that recognition reflects how they see themselves,” said Monique Coombs, Director of Community Programs for the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. “In Maine’s fishing communities, most women identify as fishermen, and their skills, leadership, and dedication are a natural part of the industry. True celebration comes from amplifying the voices of women on the water and highlighting their hard work and achievements. Honoring women in fisheries means listening to their experiences and sharing stories that reflect the valuable impact they have on our communities and livelihoods every day, not just on designated days.

“Commercial fisheries would not exist without women, whether on the water or running the on-shore portion of fishing businesses,” said Ashford Rosenberg, Director of Regional Policy and Special Projects for the Gulf of America Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. “I’m constantly inspired by the women in this industry who are role models in strength, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship, and honored to be part of a unique cohort dedicated to ensuring this way of life continues for future generations of women dedicated to conservation, sustainability, and feeding the nation with domestically harvested seafood in the Gulf and across our country.”

“Shout out to all my fellow women fishermen!” said Linda Behnken, Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. “I’m proud to share this profession and the ocean with you. Thank you for providing the world with high quality, responsibly harvested seafood. Fish on!”

“The female fishermen I have the honor of working for and with are the most passionate advocates an industry could hope to have,” said Noah Oppenheim, coordinator of the Fishing Communities Coalition. “When I was crew on a salmon boat out of Port Moller, Alaska, the hardest working, most badass deckhand in the fleet, the person every captain pointed to and said ‘you need to work like that’, was of course a woman. Women have been benchmarking my career goals ever since. In the fisheries policy world, the women I collaborate with every day are the unquestionable leaders in advocating for their families, communities, and way of life. Hats off to the fisher women, the core of our industry, who keep all of us afloat.”