Who We Are
Our coalition brings together leaders from across conservation, business, public policy, and the recreational fishing community, united by a shared commitment to protecting America’s fisheries, strengthening coastal economies, and preserving our maritime heritage for future generations.
Whit Fosburgh | Executive Director
Whit Fosburgh founded the Forage Fish Campaign out of a conviction that the industrial reduction fishing industry poses one of the greatest overlooked threats to America's ocean ecosystems and coastal economies. He brings decades of conservation leadership to the role, having previously served as President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and spent 15 years at Trout Unlimited. Earlier in his career he served as fisheries director for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, chief environment and energy staffer for Sen. Tom Daschle, and wildlife specialist for the National Audubon Society. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Georgetown University and a master's degree from the Yale School of Forestry.
Benjamin Cassidy | Government Relations
Benjamin Cassidy is the Founder and Principal of Fifth Wave LLC, a strategic advisory firm focused on conservation, natural-resource infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. He previously served as Chief Policy Officer for Nature Is Nonpartisan and as Executive Vice President for International Government and Public Affairs at Safari Club International. His public service includes a senior role at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he launched the Conservation Roundtable and coordinated the Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force.
Jason Schratwieser | International Game Fish Association | President
Jason Schratwieser has served as President of the International Game Fish Association since 2020, leading the world's foremost authority on recreational angling and its conservation of game fish worldwide. He joined the IGFA in 2003 as Conservation Director and spent nearly two decades overseeing the organization's fisheries policy, advocacy, and collaborative research programs before being unanimously elected to the top role. He was instrumental in the passage of the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 and a subsequent amendment in 2018. He holds a master's degree in marine biology with a minor in oceanography from Old Dominion University.
Jim McDuffie | Bonefish & Tarpon Trust | President & CEO
Jim McDuffie has served as President and CEO of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust since 2015, overseeing significant growth in the organization's research and conservation programs across the United States, the Bahamas, Cuba, Belize, and Mexico. A veteran of more than 35 years in nonprofit management, he previously held a variety of leadership roles at The Nature Conservancy in Florida, North Carolina, and the Maryland/DC region, including conservation fellowships in Palau and Australia. A native of North Carolina, he holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Brett Fitzgerald | Angler Action Foundation | Executive Director
Brett Fitzgerald is the Executive Director of the Angler Action Foundation, a Florida-based conservation organization dedicated to protecting gamefish, habitats, and public access to wild waters. A U.S. Army veteran who served in both Intelligence and Special Forces Operations, he joined the organization as a board member in 2006 before taking over as Executive Director in 2010. Under his leadership, AAF has raised more than $15 million to restore seagrass beds in the Caloosahatchee River and Indian River Lagoon and has been a consistent voice for recreational anglers on the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership's Policy Council in Washington, D.C. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Florida.
Amelia Kuhn | Associate
Amelia Kuhn is an Associate at oakpool, where she supports the Forage Fish Campaign's communications and public presence, managing the campaign's social media channels and assisting with press and outreach efforts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Chapman University.
Sarah Shriver Smothers | Public Relations
Sarah Shriver Smothers is a communications strategist and the Head of Public Relations at oakpool. She brings well over a decade of PR experience spanning lifestyle, hospitality, travel, technology, and political grassroots advocacy, with work for brands including Celebrity Cruises, Hilton, and Westin Hotels, as well as organizations including Concerned Veterans for America and Heroes on the Water. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication Studies from Virginia Tech and a certificate in Social Impact Storytelling from Georgetown University.