Contact: Scott Smullen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/24/96
Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor today appointed 18 marine fisheries experts to the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, the group that counsels Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service on agency policy that affects the nation's saltwater fish stocks and marine mammal populations.
Five members were reappointed to the committee along with 13 new appointees who include representatives from recreational and commercial fishing interests, and environmental, state, consumer, academic, and other national organizations. Members donate their time performing committee activities and receive no salary. Included among the reappointments was Donald Hansen of Dana Point, Calif., who was recently elected by his peers to become co-chairman and spokesperson for the group.
"I expect this to be a proactive and constructive group who, by their own backgrounds, can give us positive direction in the tuning of our marine fisheries policies and issues to continue the Administration's strong emphasis on the economic and environmental importance of this valuable national resource," said Douglas K. Hall, deputy administrator for Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, parent agency to the fisheries service.
The reappointed MAFAC members for 1996 are: Mr. Rowland Clark, Shelter Island, N.Y.; Mr. Donald Hansen, Dana Point, Calif.; Ms. Elizabeth Stewart, Juneau, Alaska; Mr. Michael Sutton, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Brian Sweeney, Newport, N.J.
The new appointments to MAFAC in 1996 include: Dr. Bonnie Brown, Midlothian, Va.; Ms. Anglea Delagarza, Austin, Texas; Ms. Liz Hamilton, Oregon City, Ore.; Dr. Susan Hanna, Corvallis, Ore.; Mr. Richard Gutting, Alexandria, Va.; Dr. Charles Kidd, Tallahassee, Fla.; Dr. Suzanne Iudicello, Springfield, Va.; Mr. Rod Moore, Portland, Ore.; Mr. Jeff Pike, Vienna, Va.; Dr. LaVerne Ragster, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Ms. Patricia Tummons, Hilo, Hawaii; Dr. Percy Washington, Seattle; and Dr. Elizabeth Wenner, Wadmalaw Island, S.C.
The appointees will complete ongoing committee work and develop a national plan on the wise use of unintended fish catch, known as bycatch. The national bycatch plan will be unveiled in mid-July to Secretary Kantor, the marine fisheries service, and the general public.
"I look to them as a sounding board for critical advice on internal fisheries service operations," said Rollie Schmitten, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service. "In the past Iþve relied on them for advice on critical budget issues, direction on developing a national habitat plan, and guidance on industry perspectives about the national bycatch problem. I look forward to the group addressing several of the major challenges that confront the fisheries service concerning the wise stewardship of our marine resources."
Committee appointments are for three years, during which time members advise the Commerce Department under authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act on all living marine resources in federal marine waters. The committee is by law the only body sanctioned to give the Commerce Secretary and the fisheries service consensus advice on marine fisheries issues. All members are experienced in living marine resource matters.
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Fact sheets to follow.
The MAFAC reappointments for 1996 are:
o Mr. Rowland Clark: Mr. Clark is president of the Northeast Inshore Draggers Association based in Shelter Island, N.Y. He represents nearshore commercial fishermen in New England, and has more than 30 years of success in the commercial fishing business.o Mr. Donald Hansen: Mr. Hansen has served the committee for three years and was recently elected by his peers to become MAFAC co-chair and spokesperson. He is president and principal owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing of Dana Point, Calif., the largest charterboat fleet in southern California. o Ms. Elizabeth Stewart: Ms. Stewart is Executive Director of the Peninsula Marketing Association of Juneau, Alaska. She is an expert in the harvest, processing, and marketing of fish and fish products. o Mr. Michael Sutton: Mr. Sutton is Senior Program Officer for Conservation Policy of the World Wildlife Fund, a conservation organization based in Washington, D.C. Sutton is a leader in the conservation community and holds advanced degrees in fisheries science. o Mr. Brian Sweeney: Mr. Sweeney is one of the founders and principal owners of Prudence Lobster Company of Wakefield, R.I. Sweeney is an expert in the harvest, processing, and sale of seafood products in the Northeast. The new appointments to MAFAC for 1996 are: o Dr. Bonnie Brown: Dr. Brown is an assistant professor and Director of the Ecological Genetics Laboratory at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. For five years, Brown served as the Vice-Chair of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. o Angela Delagarza: Ms. Delagarza is special assistant to the Texas Commissioner for Marine Environmental Affairs in Austin, where she is the liaison on pollution prevention programs between the state's land office and other state and federal agencies. She has a broad background in marine science and has chaired for the governor many task force meetings related to marine debris. o Ms. Liz Hamilton: Ms. Hamilton is president of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association in Oregon City, Ore., where she represents sportfishing groups, their support industries, and environmental groups. Hamilton also serves on the Habitat Committee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. o Dr. Susan Hanna: Dr. Hanna is a faculty member at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore., where she is an economist and active member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee. Hanna is an expert in world markets for Northwest fish products and marine fisheries management. Hanna currently serves on interagency committees focusing on resources of the outer-continental shelf. o Mr. Richard Gutting: Mr. Gutting is Director of Government Relations and Vice President of the National Fisheries Institute, an organization that represents more than 1,000 commercial fishing companies and is based in Arlington, Va. Gutting is an expert on the relationship between government and the fishing industry and has broad experience in all marine fisheries issues. o Dr. Charles Kidd: Dr. Kidd is Associate Vice President for Environmental Programs at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla. He is a member of the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission and coordinates research between the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, the National Biological Laboratory and the university. o Dr. Suzanne Iudicello: Dr. Iudicello is general counsel for the Center for Marine Conservation, an environmental organization based in Washington, D.C. She is an expert in marine fisheries issues, including marine mammal policy and conflict resolution. o Mr. Rod Moore: Mr. Moore is Executive Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association in Portland, Ore. He served for 18 years on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., including 10 years on the staff of the former House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee. o Mr. Jeff Pike: Mr. Pike is the former chief of staff of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the U. S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., where he guided the operations of the 48-member committee and supervised five Congressional subcommittees dealing with fisheries and environmental issues. He is principal member of Pike and Associates, a bi-partisan government relations firm based in Washington, D.C. o Dr. LaVerne Ragster: Dr. Ragster is a professor of Marine Biology at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. She is the coordinator of the Consortium of Caribbean Universities for Natural Resource Management and is active with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council advisory committees. o Ms. Patricia Tummons: Ms. Tummons is editor of Environment Hawaii, a monthly newsletter that addresses Western Pacific fishery management issues, based out of Hilo, Hawaii. Tummons is an expert in many aspects of marine fishery management in the Pacific and managing Hawaii's coastal zone. o Dr. Percy Washington: Dr. Washington is an experienced fisheries ecologist who has focused on Northwest and national recreational fisheries issues for the federal fisheries service, academia. In addition, Washington is President of Gaia Northwest, Inc., an environmental research and engineering firm based in Seattle. o Dr. Elizabeth Wenner: Dr. Wenner is professor in marine sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Wenner is a leading expert on crustacean research and wetland ecology and has served on numerous federal advisory boards and is currently serving as President of the American Crustacean Society.