Peter Shelley, J.D.

Research

Peter Shelley (1947-2024) was senior counsel with the Conservation Law Foundation, where he devoted 35 years to advocating for marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management. Over the course of his distinguished career, Shelley worked in courts, legislatures, and in the policy arena to protect marine resources and support the long-term health of coastal communities.

Shelley’s passion for community-based conservation was exemplified through his use of the Pew award to advance common property management of the Gulf of Maine’s marine resources. His work fostered community involvement in fisheries management, promoting co-management approaches aimed at restoring the region’s fish populations and marine ecosystems, while ensuring the economic stability and social welfare of its fishing communities. Shelley was instrumental in the creation and launch of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, the first multi-stakeholder marine resources organization in the region, which continues to build bridges between fishers, scientists, and conservationists. Although the geographic focus of his work was on the U.S. side of the Gulf of Maine, Shelley also collaborated with Canadian conservation organizations and fishery groups and undertook extensive legal work with the Republic of Kiribati, Conservation International, and the New England Aquarium to help create the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in the central Pacific.

Shelley died Oct. 13, 2024, in Lincoln, Massachusetts. His commitment to marine stewardship and community engagement continues to inspire the Pew marine fellows community and those who carry on his work. For more information about Shelley’s contributions, read his obituary.