Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc.

What Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc. does

Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc. (SFA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1952 and headquartered in Panama City Beach, Florida, that represents and advocates for the commercial seafood industry across the southeastern United States. Its members include commercial harvesters, processors, and related businesses. The association's core mission is to ease regulatory burdens on commercial seafood operations and bring recognition to the industry as a primary domestic food producer. SFA's principal activities include direct engagement with federal and state regulatory bodies (NOAA, NMFS, the Department of Commerce, the SBA Office of Advocacy), formal representation on the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, and litigation against federal fisheries actions — most notably a successful lawsuit that paused NOAA exempted fishing permits and halted expanded recreational red snapper seasons in South Atlantic states.

SFA generates revenue solely through membership dues and contributions from commercial seafood industry participants and allied companies. Its products are services rather than goods: regulatory advocacy, legal representation in environmental and fisheries lawsuits, educational programming at annual meetings, and member communications via its website (sfaonline.org) and SFA Hotlines. The association is led by Executive Director Capt. Bob Zales, II, who conducts direct outreach to prospective members and coordinates with government officials. Annual meetings, most recently scheduled for September 8–11, 2026 in Key Largo, Florida, serve as the association's primary in-person engagement and fundraising channel. The organization has no disclosed technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no funding rounds, and no parent or subsidiary entities.

Name

Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc.

Legal name

Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc.

Website

https://sfaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southeastern Fisheries Association is a 1952-founded non-profit trade association that advocates for commercial seafood harvesters and processors in the southeastern U.S. through regulatory engagement, council representation, and litigation against federal fisheries actions, funded by membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Trade Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO)

Keywords

• Commercial fisheries advocacy
• Seafood trade association
• Fishery management policy
• Fisheries regulatory representation
• Seafood industry membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Panama City Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Contributions: Southeastern Fisheries Association generates revenue through membership dues from commercial seafood industry members. The association also accepts contributions from companies involved in the commercial seafood industry that are supported by members who purchase products and help enhance the harvest and processing of fresh American seafood.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southeastern Fisheries Association (SFA) is a 501(c) non-profit trade association founded in 1952 that represents commercial fishermen, seafood dealers, and related businesses across the southeastern United States. Its core work is advocacy and regulatory representation before the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, supplemented by legal action (such as lawsuits challenging NOAA management decisions), member education on fisheries policy, and an annual membership conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SFA Membership
• SFA Annual Meeting
• Regulatory Representation Before Fishery Management Councils
• Legal Advocacy on Fisheries Regulations
• Regulatory Alerts and Member Communications

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful legal action resulting in pause of NOAA exempted fishing permits and cancellation of expanded recreational red snapper seasons.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SBA Office of AdvocacyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025SBA Office of Advocacy works to help small businesses in the country become more profitable and successful by working to reduce the regulatory and other negative impacts on small businesses. Capt. Zales discussed regulatory impacts adversely affecting the commercial seafood industry with SBA representatives.
• NOAA/NMFScoreOthersSoutheastern Fisheries Association interacts with NOAA Fisheries regarding exempted fishing permits and recreational fishing seasons. The association filed a lawsuit challenging NOAA's expanded recreational red snapper seasons, leading to a federal judge's pause on exempted fishing permits.
• U.S. Department of CommercecoreOthersThe Department of Commerce oversees NOAA/NMFS. SFA maintains working relationships with the Department, including recognition of reappointments of council members to Gulf and South Atlantic Councils.
• Georgia Department of Natural ResourcesminorOthersGeorgia DNR is working with federal officials on revised permits to potentially establish extended recreational seasons this fall following the lawsuit settlement. One of the South Atlantic states affected by the recreational red snapper fishing regulations.
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management CouncilcoreOthersSFA members Ed Walker (FL) and Dr. Anthony Overton (AL) serve on the Gulf Council to ensure fishery resources are managed by science and in a sustainable way.
• South Atlantic Fishery Management CouncilcoreOthersSFA member Kerry Marhefka (SC) serves on the South Atlantic Council to ensure fishery resources are managed by science and in a sustainable way.
• Conservation GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheastern Fisheries Association filed a lawsuit challenging expanded recreational red snapper seasons, supported by conservation groups. This coalition pursued legal action against NOAA/NMFS regarding exempted fishing permits.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Northeast Seafood Coalition: Regional trade association representing commercial fishermen and the seafood industry in New England. Comparable membership model and federal regulatory advocacy focus, but geographically focused on the Northeast.
• Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations: Regional commercial fishing trade association representing fishermen along the U.S. West Coast. Closely comparable business model and advocacy mission to SFA, but operating in a different geography (Pacific vs. Southeast/Gulf/South Atlantic).
• Gulf Seafood Institute: Industry group focused on Gulf of Mexico commercial fisheries and seafood supply chain. Directly comparable advocacy and representation role with strong overlap on Gulf Council issues that SFA members also engage with.
• North Carolina Fisheries Association: State-level commercial fishing trade association operating in the same South Atlantic regulatory footprint as SFA. Highly comparable mission and member base (commercial harvesters and processors), with overlapping South Atlantic Council representation.

Others

• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact commission coordinating fisheries management among Gulf states. Adjacent to SFA's work given overlapping Gulf Council engagement and shared interest in science-based Gulf fishery management.
• Marine Stewardship Council: International certification organization for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. Operates in the same fisheries policy ecosystem SFA engages with, but on the standards/certification side rather than direct industry advocacy.
• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: Federal regulatory body that sets fisheries management plans for the South Atlantic region. SFA member Kerry Marhefka serves on this council; the council is the principal target of SFA advocacy rather than a competing trade body.
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council: Federal regulatory body that sets fisheries management plans in the Gulf of Mexico. SFA members Walker and Overton sit on this council, making it the most direct regulatory counterpart to SFA's commercial fishing advocacy.
• Environmental Defense Fund (Fisheries Program): Environmental NGO with major fisheries and ocean ecosystem programs. SFA has partnered with conservation groups (including EDF-adjacent actors) on litigation against NOAA; they are competing voices in the same fisheries policy debates.

Broad incumbents

• National Fisheries Institute: National trade association for the U.S. seafood industry, covering harvesters, processors, distributors, and retailers. Directly comparable as a larger incumbent offering the same advocacy and policy representation services that SFA provides at a regional level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southeastern-fisheries-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc.