Low Carbon Fishing Fleet Fellowship

The Opportunity

Fellows will work both independently and collaboratively to turn knowledge and relationships into action and power, while developing their skills as community leaders. Each fellow will:

1. Master the issues by deepening their knowledge of technological and policy pathways to a low-carbon fishing fleet.

2. Deepen their practice of community-based leadership, including storytelling, relationship-building, strategy design, and moving people to action.

3. Organize their peers in their local fishing industry to produce a state-level or fleet-level action agendas outlining strategies for innovation, investment, and policy change to support a locally led transition to a low carbon fishing fleet (supported by a stipend).

Fellowship Commitments

As part of their fellowship, fellows commit to:

• Join virtual strategy, coaching, and team-building meetings with their peers in the fellowship program. February – April 2025

• Read and reflect together on the reports from the Transition to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet research project. February – April 2025

• Engage local fishermen in their states through workshops, social media, focus groups, and/or task force meetings, to outline a vision of locally appropriate transition a low-carbon fishing fleet and develop a state-level or fleet-level agenda with actionable steps for reducing fossil fuel dependence. Some states may have one fellow, while other states will have multiple fellows who will work as a team. Deadline to complete action agenda: December 2025.

The total anticipated time commitment for each fellow is 100-120 hours. Each fellow will work with the coordinator at the outset of the program to develop a personalized timetable that accommodates the fellow’s fishing commitments.

Compensation

Each fellow will receive a $4,000 stipend by completing the development of a state-level or fleet-level action agenda outlining strategies for innovation, investment, and policy change to support a locally led transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. Fellows will also have access to a small reimbursement-based bank of funds to support travel, meeting expenses, and other approved expenses associated with their action agenda project.

Eligibility

This fellowship targets early to mid-career fishermen in the New England fishing community who are serious about supporting a fishermen-led transition to a low-carbon fishing fleet and eager to collaborate with their peers across the region. Fellows should be motivated to help their community achieve shared purpose and momentum, and should seek to actively develop skills, knowledge, and relationships to grow their community leadership.

Ideal candidates will:

• Be genuinely interested in advancing a low-carbon fishing fleet.

• View the fellowship as an investment in their capacity as a grassroots fishing community leader.

• Demonstrate open-mindedness, respect for others, and strong listening skills.

• Have a keen desire to learn and support the learning of others.

• Be committed to attending bimonthly virtual meetings, completing a state-level or fleet-level action agenda project within the fellowship timeline, and participating in a bicoastal think tank focused on federal policy advocacy.

Host Organizations

Fellows are strongly encouraged to affiliate with a membership-based fishermen’s association within their state for the duration of the fellowship. Fellows may in some cases receive their stipend through their host organization. In some states, a small stipend may be available to host organizations to offset the burden of hosting a fellow.

The ideal host organization will lend support to the fellow’s state-level or fleet-level action agenda project by orienting the fellow to the state’s policy landscape, providing guidance on workshop planning and participant recruitment, and sharing feedback on drafts of the action agenda. The ideal host organization will see value in this work for its members and will commit to co-publishing the action agenda with the fellow (while also respecting the fellow’s leadership in this effort) and helping the action agenda gain traction with policy makers.

Organizations interested in hosting a fellow are encouraged to reach out to the fellowship coordinator and are asked to circulate the fellowship opportunity among their members. In some states, a host organization has already been selected.

Questions?

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions or contact fellowship coordinator Sarah Schumann.