Promoting the conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources of the North Pacific through research, education and mitigation.

What is the MCAF?

The Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation promotes the conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources of the North Pacific through the support of research and public education. In addition to its cooperative research program, the MCA Foundation oversees one the largest

marine debris cleanup programs in the nation. Established in 2003 as the non-profit arm of the Marine Conservation Alliance, an Alaska-based fishing industry association, MCAF members include most of the seafood processors that operate in Alaska, the owners of most groundfish and crab vessels in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, fishing communities and the support industry 2008 Kodiak cleanup by the Boy Scouts, Island Trails Network and the MCA Foundation .

Learn more about marine debris by downloading these publications:     A Programmatic Response to Marine    Pollution (.pdf, 5/7/08)    Marine Debris in Alaska (.pdf, 5/7/08)   Request a free North Pacific Right Identification Whale Guide! The North Pacific right whale population is about 100 or fewer. Right whales are particularly vulnerable to ship strikes because they’re slow swimmers that feed on or near the surface and show little or no instinct for avoiding vessels. Concern about the preservation of North Pacific right whales has prompted NOAA’s Marine Mammal Lab and the Marine Conservation Alliance in Juneau, Alaska, to get proactive about avoiding ship strikes. A couple years ago, the two groups put together a concise pilothouse guide that helps vessel operators identify right whales and offers advice on what to do if and when one is sighted. Download Right Whale Identification Guide (.pdf) Included in the guide is an identification chart, appropriate vessel maneuvering procedures and whale sighting documentation protocols. If you are interested in receiving a free copy of the Right Whale Identification Guide, please send an e-mail to adminmca@ak.net including: Name, Company, Address, E-mail MCAF in the News MARINE DEBRIS MEDIA Sea Trash (6/22/08) Island junkyards: Debris fouls fur seal haulouts (6/23/08) NOAA Honors Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation for Debris Cleanups (5/20/08) Kodiak Scouts tidy beaches for marine debris project (4/15/08) WA child's message in a bottle ends up in Alaska 21 years later (3/23/08) Alaska group removes marine debris from 70 miles of shore (1/20/08) Alaska residents regroup in battle against marine debris (2/1/08) Feds may cut $7 billion in fishing grants to Alaska - Attack on coastal carnage (2/1/08) Maintaining hope, even in November (11/27/07) First Lady's Initiative on Marine Debris Would Support Efforts Underway in Alaska (11/7/07) Trashed (11/1/07) Cooperative Research Media Halibut Excluder: A Doggie Door for Fish (5/22/07)

President's Corner Thanks for stopping by to learn more about the MCA Foundation. Through our programs in marine debris cleanup, public education and cooperative research, we're working to set a new standard for stewardship by the seafood industry. In recent years, our marine debris program has grown into one of the largest debris removal programs in the nation and in 2008 received the prestigious Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Award for Coastal Habitat Restoration awarded by NOAA and the Fishing for the Future Foundation. Our cooperative research program is bringing fishermen and scientists together to find ways to reduce the bycatch of salmon and halibut in trawl fisheries. Feel free to browse these pages to learn more about MCAF and its activities. If you have any additional questions, please contact us. Glenn Reed Pacific Seafood Processors Association