NAMA was born in 1995 by a group of fishermen and fishing community advocates to explore an alternative management structure. They believed there had to be a better approach to protecting our oceans and manage marine resources. With Captain Craig Pendleton at the helm, NAMA set out on a decade-long pursuit of collaborative research and visioning toward realizing community and ecosystem based management. With the departure of Captain Pendleton in late 2007, the board of trustees set out to hire a new director and established new programs that drew their strength from the strong foundation already laid.