The U.S. Commerce Department recently announced its appointment of 19 new and returning members to the eight U.S. regional fishery management councils established as part of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to to help manage ocean fish stocks.
The councils partner with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to prepare fishery management plans for their regions and are intended to be compiled from a diverse array of stakeholders including the commercial fishing industry, recreational fishers, environmental groups and academia. The councils “are vital to fulfilling the act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks and manage them sustainably,” the Commerce Department said in its press release announcing the appointments.
Council members are nominated by the governors of fishing states, territories and tribal governments and are appointed to both obligatory (state-specific) and at-large (regional) seats. Council members serve a three-year term and can get reappointed to serve three consecutive terms.
New appointments this year to the New England Council, which includes members from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island include Mark H. Godfroy from New Hampshire, filling an obligatory seat, and Richard J. Bellavance, Jr. from Rhode Island and Michael P. Sissenwine from Massachusetts filling at-large seats. Sissenwine previously served on the council and has been reappointed while Godfroy and Bellavance are new to the council.
For the Mid-Atlantic Council, which includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, Paul W. Townsend of Delaware was appointed to an obligatory seat and Peter B. Hughes of New Jersey and Roger L. Mann of Virginia were appointed to at-large seats. All are new to the council. Another appointment to an at-large seat will be announced by the Secretary of Commerce at a later date.
South Carolina’s Christopher C. Conklin and North Carolina’s Robert T. Griner were appointed to obligatory seats on the South Atlantic Council, qhixh includes members from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Conklin previously served on the council and has been reappointed.
Louis A. Blanchard of the U.S. Virgins Islands has been reappointed to an at-large seat on the Caribbean Council, which includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Mississippi’s Leann N. Bosarge and Texas’ Douglass W. Boyd have been reappointed to the Gulf of Mexico Council, which includes Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Thomas K. Frazer of Florida has been appointed to an at-large seat.
The Pacific Council has added Mar M. Gorlenik of California to an at-large seat and Herbert A. Pollard II of Idaho has been reappointed to an obligatory seat. The Pacific Council includes members from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, as well as a tribal seat.
The North Pacific Council includes members from Alaska and Washington and this year’s new appointees include Michael “Buck” Laukitis and Theresa A. Peterson, both of Alaska.
The Western Pacific Council includes members from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The appointees for 2016 will fill an obligatory seat for American Samoa and two at-large seats. They are Archie T. Soliai of American Samoa for the obligatory seat and Christinna S. Lutu-Sanchez of American Samoa and Dean C. Sensui of Hawaii for the at-large seats.
All of the recently appointed council members begin their three-year terms on 11 August.
“U.S. fisheries are among the most sustainable in the world, and NOAA Fisheries is grateful for the efforts these individuals devote to our nation’s fisheries management and to the resiliency of our oceans. We look forward to working with both new and returning council members,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries. “Each council faces unique challenges, and their partnership with NOAA Fisheries is integral to the sustainability of the fisheries in their respective regions, as well as to the communities that rely on those fisheries.”
