National Fisherman

What National Fisherman does

National Fisherman is a U.S. commercial fishing industry media brand and a division of privately held conglomerate Diversified Communications. Founded as a standalone monthly magazine in 1946 (with roots in a Maine weekly newspaper column dating back roughly 100 years) and headquartered in Portland, Maine, the company serves commercial fishermen across all U.S. coastal regions plus a secondary Canadian audience. Its customer base spans commercial fishing operators (primary), marine industry suppliers such as boat builders and gear manufacturers, government and regulatory staff, and academic researchers.

Name

National Fisherman

Legal name

National Fisherman (published by Diversified Communications)

Website

https://nationalfisherman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Fisherman is a U.S. commercial fishing industry media brand and division of Diversified Communications, publishing a monthly print and digital magazine, a daily-updated website, a twice-weekly newsletter, and the annual Pacific Marine Expo trade show for fishermen and marine industry suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Monthly National Fisherman magazine published in both printed and digital formats, distributed to 24,000 readers with NF+ Members receiving free digital edition access along with archives and specialty publications
2. Advertising: National advertising providing exposure to the commercial marine industry, reaching 60,000 monthly website visitors and 16,000 newsletter subscribers through multimedia solutions
3. NF+ Membership: Premium membership offering free digital magazine editions, access to archives spanning over a decade, specialty publications, the digital supplement On Deck, and Pacific Marine Expo discounts
4. Pacific Marine Expo: Annual Seattle-based trade show and conference generating revenue through exhibitor booth sales (500 booths) and attendee registration (5,000 attendees)
5. Brand Partners/Sponsored Content: Sponsored content and brand partnership opportunities highlighted on the website and at events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National Fisherman is a multi-platform trade media brand serving the U.S. commercial fishing industry. It publishes a monthly National Fisherman magazine in print and digital formats, operates the daily-updated nationalfisherman.com website, distributes the twice-weekly Fish eNews email newsletter to more than 16,000 subscribers, and runs the annual Pacific Marine Expo trade show in Seattle. Supporting offerings include the NF+ premium membership, the Pilothouse Guide annual journal, and the On Deck digital supplement.

Product overview

National Fisherman operates a multi-platform media portfolio serving the U.S. commercial fishing industry. The core offerings include the monthly National Fisherman Magazine (print and digital), the daily-updated Nationalfisherman.com website, the twice-weekly Fish eNews newsletter (16,000+ subscribers), and the annual Pacific Marine Expo trade show in Seattle. Supporting products include the Pilothouse Guide annual journal, the NF+ premium membership program (providing archived digital access and expo discounts), the On Deck digital supplement, the Crew Shots community photo feature, the Highliners Awards program, and the Marketplace & Jobs classifieds platform. These products work together to reach stakeholders from boat to dock and beyond through print, online, and in-person channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pacific Marine Expo: Seattle-based trade show and conference for the commercial marine industry.
• Pilothouse Guide
• On Deck
• NF+ Membership

Products and services

• National Fisherman Magazine
• NF+ Membership
• Pacific Marine Expo
• Pilothouse Guide

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000 monthly website visitors rely on National Fisherman for daily industry news, market updates, and boatbuilding launches
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and extended.

• Diversified CommunicationscoreOthersParent company of National Fisherman. Diversified Communications also owns related maritime publications including International WorkBoat Show, Seafood Expo Global, Seafood Expo North America, and their respective magazines and digital publications. This affiliation provides extended reach and cross-promotion opportunities across the maritime and seafood industries.
• Pacific Marine ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Fisherman organizes and runs Pacific Marine Expo, a Seattle-based annual trade show and conference that began more than 50 years ago. The event features 500 booths and draws 5,000 attendees from across the country. National Fisherman is the official media for the expo, providing event news and attendee updates.
• International WorkBoat ShowextendedGTM or Marketing PartnerPart of National Fisherman's extended family under Diversified Communications. Related trade show event serving the broader maritime industry.
• Seafood Expo North AmericaextendedGTM or Marketing PartnerPart of National Fisherman's extended family under Diversified Communications. Related seafood industry exhibition.
• Seafood Expo GlobalextendedGTM or Marketing PartnerPart of National Fisherman's extended family under Diversified Communications. Major international seafood industry exhibition.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Marine Log: Long-established trade publication covering the broader commercial marine industry including shipbuilding, offshore, and government vessels. Broader incumbent that overlaps with National Fisherman's boatbuilding and marine policy coverage but does not specialize in wild-capture fishing.

Regional players

• Soundings Trade Only: B2B trade media brand serving the recreational boating industry with news, directories, and events. Comparable as a marine-sector trade publication and event operator, but addresses the recreational boating market rather than commercial fishing.

Direct peers

• WorkBoat Magazine: Sister publication under Diversified Communications covering the commercial workboat sector. Direct peer sharing the same parent, business model (trade magazine, events, digital), and advertiser base, with overlapping but distinct audience focus on vessel operators rather than fishermen.
• SeafoodSource: Online trade media brand covering the global seafood industry, owned by Diversified Communications alongside National Fisherman. Direct peer serving an adjacent step in the seafood value chain with shared events (Seafood Expo) and overlapping supplier advertiser base.
• Fishermen's News: Pacific Northwest-focused trade publication covering commercial fishing news, vessels, gear, and markets. Direct peer delivering similar editorial content and advertising solutions to a regional subset of National Fisherman's audience.
• Commercial Fisheries News: Trade newspaper serving commercial fishermen across multiple U.S. regions with regulatory, market, and gear coverage. Direct peer competing for the same advertising dollars from boat builders and gear suppliers.

Emerging players

• Fish Farmer Magazine: Trade publication covering aquaculture and fish farming, an emerging adjacent segment of the seafood supply chain. Comparable as a B2B trade media outlet serving marine protein producers, with overlapping supplier advertisers but distinct primary audience (farmers vs. wild harvesters).
• Pacific Fishing Magazine: Historical Pacific-region commercial fishing publication that was folded into National Fisherman in 2006. Comparable in focus area (West Coast and Pacific commercial fishing) and may have residual web presence serving a regional slice of the same audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationalfisherman
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalfisherman
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalfisherma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Fisherman