NOAA 2002-074 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Susan Buchanan 6/17/02

NOAA News Releases 2002 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs

COMMERCE SECRETARY EVANS ANNOUNCES 2002 OCEAN FISHERY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS Secretary of Commerce Don Evans today announced the appointment of 21 members to the eight regional fishery management councils that work in partnership with the federal government to manage the nation's ocean fisheries. The councils, established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act , use a public process to prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their respective geographical areas of responsibility. The management plans are submitted for review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service and approved by the secretary. "On behalf of Secretary Evans, I am pleased to congratulate the new council members and to thank those who are completing their council service for the hard work and dedication they have contributed towards effective stewardship of our marine resources," said Dr. Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries. "Among this year's nominees were numerous qualified people with impressive backgrounds in fisheries and marine conservation, which made the decisions difficult to make. Secretary Evans and I look forward to an effective management partnership with the new council members as we continue rebuilding overfished populations in the coming years." Council members apply their experience and knowledge of regional U.S. fisheries to the immense challenge of rebuilding and sustaining marine resources for future generations of Americans. The council members represent diverse interests, including commercial and recreational fishermen, for each geographic area. Terms of the council members expire annually on August 10 for approximately one-third of the 72 obligatory and at-large members appointed to the eight regional councils. On behalf of the secretary, the director of NOAA Fisheries solicits nominations from the governors of fishing states and oversees the annual appointment process. Governors must submit completed gubernatorial nominations by March 15, and the secretary announces the selections by June 27. New members will take their seats on August 11. Under the act, the secretary selects a council member from the group of gubernatorial nominees for each appointed obligatory and at-large seat that has become vacant due to an expiring term, a resignation, or other reason. Obligatory seats are state-specific, while at-large seats are regional in scope. Last year's agency report on council membership is available on the Internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/reg_svcs/Report_Congress01.pdf. This year's appointments were to be made for 22 expiring seats. However, the appointments for Pennsylvania's obligatory seat on the Mid-Atlantic council and Puerto Rico's obligatory seat on the Caribbean council are pending. This year's appointments also include a member to Idaho's obligatory seat on the Pacific council, which expired last year and was left unfilled, bring the total appointments to 21. The new council members, listed below, will begin service on August 11, 2002; their terms will expire on August 10, 2005, except for the appointment of Idaho's expired obligatory seat to the Pacific council, which will expire on August 10, 2004. New England Fishery Mangement Council The New England council includes members from the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The appointees for 2002 are for four at-large seats: *Anthony Fernandes III - commercial fisherman - Kittery, Maine *Thomas R. Hill - recreational fisherman - Gloucester, Mass. John W. Pappalardo - Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Assn. Chatham, Mass. *John C. Williamson - commercial fisherman - Kennebunk, Maine Mid-Atlantic Fishery Mangement Council The Mid-Atlantic council includes members from the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The appointees for 2002 are for the Maryland, New York and North Carolina obligatory seats and one at-large seat: Obligatory seats *Ricks E Savage Sr. - commercial fisherman - Berlin, Md. Patrick H. Augustine - recreational fisherman - Coram, N.Y. *James A. Ruhle Sr. - commercial fisherman - Wanchese, N.C. At-large seat Charles A. Witek III - recreational fisherman - West Babylon, N.Y. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council The South Atlantic council includes members from the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The appointees for 2002 are for two at-large seats: At-large seats *John M. Dean - Professor, Marine Science, Univ. of S.C. - Columbia, S.C. George J. Geiger - fishing guide - Sebastian, Fla. Gulf Fishery Management Council The Gulf Council includes members from the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The appointees for 2002 are for three at-large seats: At-large seats *Maumus F. Claverie Jr. - recreational fisherman - New Orleans, La. *James B. Fensom - recreational fisherman - Panama City, Fla. Joseph P. Hendrix Jr. - manager, shrimp aquaculture facility, seafood marketing - Harlingen, Texas Pacific Fishery Management Council The Pacific council includes members from the states of California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The appointees are for the 2001 expired Idaho obligatory seat, the 2002 Washington obligatory seat and one at-large seat: Obligatory Seats David W. Ortmann - research biologist and recreational angler - Coeur d' Alene, Idaho Mark V. Cedergreen - Westport Charterboat Association - Westport, Wash. At-large seat *Ralph H. Brown - commercial fisherman - Brookings, Ore. North Pacific Fishery Management Council The North Pacific Council includes members from the states of Alaska and Washington. The appointees for 2002 are for the Alaska and Washington obligatory seats: Obligatory seats Hazel C. Nelson - President, Becharof Corp. - Anchorage, Alaska *Milton J. Bundy - President, Glacier Fish Co. - Seattle, Wash. Western Pacific Fishery Management Council The Western Pacific council includes members from the American-flagged Pacific Islands of the American Samoa and Guam, the state of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands (CNMI). The appointees for 2002 are for the CNMI obligatory seat and two at-large seats: Obligatory seat Benigno M. Sablan - commercial fisherman - Saipan, CNMI At-large seats *Frank P. Farm Jr. - President, Ocean Marine Services, Inc. - Honolulu, Hawaii *Roy N. Morioka - recreational fisherman - Honolulu, Hawaii *Note indicates a reappointment. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries, please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov.