Molly Masterton joined the Network and host Tom Sadler for an online Waterside Chat on July 14, 2026. Molly is a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where she works to promote sustainable fisheries management and the application of ecosystem-based management tools to ocean resources in the U.S. and abroad.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Molly and Tom talked about:

• Molly’s work as a “senior harried environmental lawyer” working on “the most interesting wildlife ecosystems” in the world: fisheries.
• Why fisheries management is a data-hungry and science-hungry process
• How the Magnuson Stevens Act has evolved from its roots (stopping foreign fishing off U.S. shores) to broadly managing America’s wild fisheries for the long term
• Why working waterfronts and workforce development for small-boat commercial fishermen are conservation issues too

And of course, much much more!

Referenced in the Chat:

• Molly’s recent blog post
• Ken Hinman’s recent post

About Waterside Chats:

Watch more Waterside Chats or subscribe to the podcast.

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 Waterside Chats.

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.