Our Mission.
Protecting the ocean so fishing communities have access to a healthy and thriving coast.
Our Vision.
A healthy ocean, abundant fisheries and equitable access to thriving coastal ecosystems.
Our Approach.
We represent conservation-minded anglers and spearfishers in meaningful, ambitious ocean protection policy
We are committed to being an honest broker of marine science and policy information to the fishing communities we represent
We are leaders in ocean justice and equitable access issues for subsistence and recreational fishing communities across the United States.
Meet the Team
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Founder & Executive Director
Anupa grew up fishing for reds and trout along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Now, as an avid waterwoman who fishes, surfs, paddles and dives, and with a strong scientific and policy background, Anupa is a respected and effective advocate for environmental justice and conservation issues. Through her work to advance meaningful ocean protection, she consistently saw the needs and interests of fishing communities misrepresented or underrepresented in decision-making. This is what inspired Fish On—a new kind of fishing interest organization working to bring clear and honest information to fishing communities across the United States and push for meaningful solutions so that everyone has access to a coast that is healthy, thriving and full of life.
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Advisory Board
Azul
Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš is the Founder and Executive Director of Azul, a grassroots organization that works with Latinxs throughout the Americas to protect the ocean and coasts. Launched in 2011 as the first U.S. organization devoted to elevating Latinx voices in marine conservation and justice, Azul interweaves cultural fluency and grassroots organizing for people-centered policy outcomes. Gutiérrez-Graudiņš is one of five women founders of the Ocean Justice Forum, launched in 2021.
Her thought leadership is visible from local to global-level panels and summits to the opinion and editorial pages of publications including the Washington Post and the United Nations. She serves as a member of the California Coastal Conservancy’s governing board and is a member of the IUCN’s California Expert Assessment Group for the Green List. Marce is also an award-winning marine conservation advocate and has delivered expert congressional testimony to the House Natural Resources Committee’s Legislative Hearing on the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2021. She is also the co-author of Neglected — Environmental Justice Impacts of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution, published by UNEP, an integral resource in the age of negotiations toward a Global Plastics Treaty.
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Advisory Board
California Surf Fishing
Kaspar Kazazian is the co-founder of California Surf Fishing. In 2016, he discovered his passion for recreational shore fishing. He believes that fishing can be a wonderful outlet for many people.
Spending countless hours fishing our coastline, Kaspar has seen first-hand how marine protected areas have supported our local fish populations. He is a believer that appropriate conservation policies can improve fish populations, ultimately uplifting anglers.
Kaspar has an MS in Mechanical Engineering and has taught at the university level.
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Advisory Board
Backbone Media
Cory Lowe is a 13-year veteran of Backbone Media, building brand presence and leading public relations campaigns for numerous leading active lifestyle brands. For nearly 10 years, he has been deeply involved in Grundens, a top fishing brand. Cory also has a history with environmental consulting and conversation issues and is excited about bring a fresh perspective to the fish and water advocacy space.
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Advisory Board
California Surf Fishing
Gary Kazazian started fishing the surf in 2016 with his brother Kaspar Kazazian. While initially keeping the majority of legal sized fish he caught, he has since developed a profound appreciation for the ocean and conserving its treasures. Gary has a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and is also the author of a how-to surf fishing book that focuses specifically on Southern California waters. The book, as well as his deeply held values related to surf fishing, can be found on the website that he runs with his brother.
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Advisory Board
NRDC
Lisa Suatoni has committed her career to applying rigorous science in the crafting of progressive policy in ocean conservation. In her role at NRDC, she focuses on the ocean-climate nexus: how does climate change impact ocean ecosystems, marine life, and the people who depend on it, and how can ocean policy best offset those harms? Suatoni is also an expert in sustainable fisheries policy. In addition to her work at NRDC, she is the Timothy B. Atkeson environmental lecturer in law at Yale Law School, where she co-directs the Yale Environmental Protection Clinic. Suatoni has a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from Yale University. She is based in the New York City office.
Fish On is founded, run and informed by our community of anglers and spearfishers. We are funded by grassroots support from fishers who believe in our mission, in addition to small grants which we solicit to support our programming. As our fiscal sponsor, Earth Island Institute receives a small percentage of the funds we raise to provide us backbone support. This allows us to make the most efficient use of your generous donations by sharing core functions like human resources and accounting teams with other small organizations under the Earth Island umbrella.