Meredith Moore joined host Tom Sadler for a fascinating MFCN Waterside Chat on May 27, 2026. Meredith is director of the Fish Conservation Program at The Ocean Conservancy, where she combines a science background and a desire to find pragmatic solutions that work for people and for the environment.

Some highlights from the conversation:

• Why the magic of working in fisheries is that instead of saying “no”, it’s “yes, with some boundaries”.
• The tension involved in the relationship between fishermen and scientists, since fishermen are experts in finding exactly where the fish are and catching as many as possible, while science is trying to find exactly how many fish there actually are.
• Why the Magnuson Stevens Act is fundamentally optimistic, since it looks at a wild ecosystem and saying “we can get this right.”
• How if we can get the balance right, the MSA can help us live somewhat gently on top of the ecosystem but still benefit from it. Fisheries are the only large-scale wild ecosystem we have a food source!
• Why the current council system may not be perfect, but it gives a voice to people who are invested in the industry.

And as always, much much more!

About Waterside Chat

The Marine Fish Conservation Network’s Waterside Chat series connects people who depend on healthy oceans and fisheries with the issues that directly affect them and their communities. Each episode the Network’s CEO Tom Sadler talks with different guests about ocean policy and fisheries management topics. He engages them in genuine and thoughtful conversations about what policy decisions mean for people’s livelihoods, communities, recreation, and coastal ways of life. Join the Network’s email list to learn about future Chats. You can also watch past Chats and subscribe to the podcast on the Network’s website.

Theresa Labriola of Wild Oceans joined the Network for a Waterside Chat with the Marine Fish Conservation Network on April 6, 2026.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Theresa and host Tom Sadler talked about:

• How Theresa grew up fishing for striped bass and tuna from her family boat off Rhode Island
• Her new role as president of Wild Oceans, an organization originally founded by recreational fishermen who saw the effects of overfishing in Northeastern U.S. waters
• Why healthy fisheries doin’t exist in isolation — they’re part of a larger ecosystem affected by our actions
• Why we have an obligation to treat this resource with respect and to steward it for future generations
• Why the Magnuson Stevens Act is one of the most important marine resources laws ever put in place, why it drives innovation, and how updates over the years since its passage have made it stronger
• The power of the Marine Fish Conservation Network to bring together diverse stakeholders, from commercial and recreational fishermen to chefs and scientists, and why the decision to create it gets validated over and over

And of course, much more! Watch the video for the full experience. Look for more Waterside Chats in the months to come, and be sure to check out our recent conversation with sustainable fishmonger Lyf Gildersleeve.

About Waterside Chat

The Marine Fish Conservation Network’s Waterside Chat series connects people who depend on healthy oceans and fisheries with the issues that directly affect them and their communities. Each episode the Network’s CEO Tom Sadler talks with different guests about ocean policy and fisheries management topics. He engages them in genuine and thoughtful conversations about what policy decisions mean for people’s livelihoods, communities, recreation, and coastal ways of life. Join the Network’s email list to learn about future Chats. You can also watch past Chats and subscribe to the podcast on the Network’s website.

Lyf Gildersleeve joined the Network for an online Waterside Chat with host Tom Sadler on March 10, 2026. Lyf is a second-generation fish monger who actively promotes and protects sustainable use of our seafood resources. He owns Flying Fish Company, a retail fish market, meat market, and oyster bar in Portland, Oregon and its nonprofit arm, Sustainable Fishmonger.

Among many topics, Lyf and Tom talked about:

• How cooking classes help bring people closer to their food so they can make better choices in the future
• Why it’s so important to move beyond the “big four” seafood species that dominate American tables
• How the regulatory framework created by the Magnuson Stevens Act creates an evolving framework that adds stability to coastal communities
• A new Monterrey Bay Aquarium program for restaurants that lets them put a label on menus for specific dishes made only with sustainable and environmentally responsible ingredients — which encourages customers to ask other restaurants about THEIR ingredients
• Why fishmongers feel such a connection to the sea, and why they’re the perfect messengers to educate chefs (and ultimately the public) about sustainable, local seafood options

And of course, much much more!

About Waterside Chat

The Marine Fish Conservation Network’s Waterside Chat series connects people who depend on healthy oceans and fisheries with the issues that directly affect them and their communities. Each episode the Network’s Deputy Director Tom Sadler talks with different guests about ocean policy and fisheries management topics. He engages them in genuine and thoughtful conversations about what policy decisions mean for people’s livelihoods, communities, recreation, and coastal ways of life. Join the Network’s email list to learn about future Chats. You can also watch past Chats and subscribe to the podcast on the Network’s website.