NOAA Fisheries has confirmed to SeafoodSource that Eugenio Piñeiro Soler will continue leading NOAA Fisheries as assistant administrator, while U.S. Senate-confirmed Tim Petty will serve as NOAA’s second in command.
A geologist by trade, Petty had served as a senior staffer on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water and Environment, and as the assistant secretary of water and science at the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2018 to 2021.
In August, U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Petty to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, one of the top positions at NOAA. During a Senate hearing in October, lawmakers questioned Petty on U.S. fisheries policy, asking about fisheries surveys, stock assessments, and fishery disaster determinations.
“As second-in-command at NOAA, he will draw on his policy expertise to manage U.S. fisheries programs and protect coastal and ocean resources,” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said at the time.
The Senate ultimately confirmed Petty as part of a batch of nominations in December.
It was not immediately clear, however, how Petty’s confirmation would impact NOAA Fisheries leadership, as Soler was currently serving as both NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. Former NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit also held both positions simultaneously, although NOAA Fisheries told SeafoodSource that Coit was replaced as assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere by Jainey Bavishi from January 2023 through the end of the Biden administration.
Now, NOAA Fisheries has confirmed that Soler will no longer serve as acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, but will continue to serve as NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator.
In his new role, Petty will be NOAA’s deputy administrator, effectively the number two position at the agency under NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs, who was confirmed by the Senate in October.
