NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator Paul Doremus is leaving his work for the U.S. government to join Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods as vice president for policy and sustainability strategy.
At Trident, Doremus will work to develop and execute the company’s strategic federal and international policy priorities, contribute to Trident’s sustainability and social responsibility strategy, and advise on strategic developments in global seafood markets, the company said in a press release. Trident Seafoods describes itself as the largest vertically integrated seafood harvesting and processing company in North America, with 8,000 employees and global operations in six countries.
“Paul has been a leading voice in Washington for a more-competitive and resilient seafood sector in the United States,” Trident Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Stefanie Moreland said. “He brings a broad perspective on the policy needs of U.S. seafood producers, and will make a great contribution to Trident and others in the industry as we work together to ensure the continued sustainability of our fisheries, strengthen our seafood infrastructure, and ensure a level playing field for U.S. seafood products in international markets.”
Doremus served a stint as the acting head of NOAA Fisheries after the January 2021 exit of NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver, who joined American Seafoods in June 2021. Doremus worked at NOAA for 17 years, including as chief strategy officer from 2005 to 2011, assistant secretary for conservation and management from 2017 to 2018, and chief of strategy and operations, as well as lead for seafood production and aquaculture beginning in 2011. He led the recent development of the agency’s National Seafood Strategy, directed the agency’s operations across 20 states and three U.S. territories, and oversaw NOAA’s offices of aquaculture, law enforcement, and international affairs, trade, and commerce.
While working in partnership with the National Seafood Council Task Force over the past two years, Doremus played a key role in advocating for federal funding for the National Seafood Council, an industry-led effort supporting the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) with its efforts to promote seafood as a healthy food source, leveraging recommendations from NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Council. Plans for the council, first discussed at an industry forum in 2019, were detailed in a May 2020 SeafoodSource webinar, “Is It Time to Revisit the Idea of a National Seafood Council?”
In August 2022, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies directed NOAA to begin detailing how it could facilitate the creation of a National Seafood Council.
In an 26 October, 2022, SeafoodSource webinar “How to Get Americans to Eat More Seafood,” Changing Tastes Founder and Managing Director Arlin Wasserman warned Doremus’ departure from NOAA could hurt the momentum building around efforts to create and fund the council.
“With Paul Doremus changing jobs, I’m not optimistic about that council coming forward now,” Wasserman said.
However, Seafood Nutrition Partnership President Linda Cornish told SeafoodSource Doremus’ transition to Trident will have no negative impact in the National Seafood Council campaign.
“We are happy for Paul Doremus and his new role at Trident Seafoods and that he will continue to serve as vice chair of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership,” Cornish told SeafoodSource. “I am encouraged that the National Seafood Council (NSC) Task Force, which is composed of 42 leading seafood companies including Trident Seafoods, has made great progress over the last two years to bring a National Seafood Promotions Campaign and National Seafood Council to life. Through the effective engagement of the NSC Task Force with their congressional representatives, a Seafood Marketing Act of 2022 was introduced in Congress at the end of September and the Senate Appropriations Bills in July included language for NOAA Fisheries to form a National Seafood Council to promote the public health benefits of seafood consumption.”
Current NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit is a backer of the initiative, Cornish said.
“At the end of August, we had a wonderful roundtable at American Mussel Harvesters with U.S. Senator [Jack] Reed, Janet Coit, and leaders from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, and East Coast Shellfish Growers Association on how promoting the public health benefits of seafood consumption would benefit the US seafood sector as a whole,” Cornish said. “Seafood Nutrition Partnership looks forward to continuing our strong partnerships with NOAA Fisheries in support of a stronger seafood sector.”
Photo courtesy of Trident Seafoods
