Deputy Secretary of Commerce Robert L. Mallett today announced the appointment of 32 members to eight regional fishery management councils that work in partnership with the federal government to manage the nation's marine fishery resources.

The councils, established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their respective geographical areas of responsibility. The management plans are submitted for review by the NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and approved by the secretary of commerce.

The councils represent diverse fisheries interests and are composed of representatives of state and federal government, and appointed members whose combined knowledge and experience represent commercial, recreational and environmental fisheries interests for each geographical area concerned. Obligatory seats are state-specific, while at-large seats are regional in scope.

This year's appointments must be made to 30 annually expiring seats, which also includes the appointment of the Tribal representative to the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The 30 council members, below, will begin their terms on August 11, 2000. Their terms will expire on August 10, 2003.

The deputy secretary also announced two separate appointments:

1) A new member to the congressionally-mandated at-large seat on the New England Fishery Management Council (term expires August 10, 2003); and

2) A member to complete the expiring term of former at-large member Charles E. Bergmann II, who resigned from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in October 1999 (term expires August 10, 2001).

Note: * indicates the individual is being reappointed.

New England Council - The New England Council includes members from the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The appointees for 2000 are for the Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island obligatory seats, and the new congressionally-mandated at-large seat:

• Francis W. Blount, Jr.* - President, Frances Fleet, South Kingstown, R.I.
• D. Douglas Hopkins* - Staff Attorney, Environmental Defense, Woodstock, Conn.
• James M. Kendall* - Executive Director, New Bedford Seafood Coalition, New Bedford, Mass.
• Barbara D. Stevenson* - Sellers Representative, Portland Fish Exchange, Portland, Maine

• William J. Brennan - Consultant, W. J. Brennan Associates, Topsham, Maine

Mid-Atlantic 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 2000 are for the New Jersey and Virginia obligatory seats; two regular term at-large seats, and one out-of-cycle at-large seat (vice: former member C. Bergmann):

• Gary A. Caputi*- Director of Advertising, Fishing World magazine, Bricktown, N.J.
  Robert H. Pride III - recreational fisherman, Newport News, Va.

• Dennis L. Spitsbergen - former Executive Assistant for Councils, North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, N.C.
• Laurie A. Nolan - owner, commercial tilefish vessels, Montauk, N.Y.

• James R. Lovgren - commercial fisherman, Brick, N.J.

South Atlantic Council - The South Atlantic Council includes members from the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The appointees for 2000 are for the Florida and Georgia obligatory seats, and two at-large seats:

• Anthony L. Iarocci -Operations Manager, Panchos Marina, Marathon, Fla.
• Glenn H. Durden - recreational fisherman, Vidalia, Ga.

• Obadiah F. Love* - commercial fisherman, Savannah, Ga.
• Clarence W. Lee - recreational fisherman, Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

Caribbean Council - The Caribbean Council includes members from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The appointees for 2000 are for the U.S. Virgin Islands obligatory seat and one at-large seat:

• Virdin C. Brown - former Commissioner, U.S.V.l. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

• Miguel A. Sanabria* - recreational fisherman, Dorado, Puerto Rico

Gulf of Mexico Council - The Gulf of Mexico Council includes members from the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The appointees for 2000 are for the Alabama, Florida and Louisiana obligatory seats and two at-large seats:

• Dan Dumont - Executive Director/Counsel, Alabama Forest Resources Center, Mobile, Ala.
• Karen L. J. Bell - seafood restaurateur, Cortez, Fla.
• Myron J. Fischer* - recreational fisherman, Cut Off, La.

• Bobbi M. Walker - charterboat owner, Orange Beach, Ala.
• Harolyn Kay Williams* - fishery manager, Vancleave, Miss.

Pacific Council - The Pacific Council includes members from the states of California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The appointees for 2000 are for the California and Washington obligatory seats; the Tribal seat and two at-large seats:

• James G. Caito* - Caito Fisheries, Inc., Fort Bragg, Calif.
• Hans D. Radtke* - Adjunct Professor, Oregon State University, Yachats, Ore.
• James E. Harp* - Tribal Representative, Quinault Indian Nation, Amanda Park, Wash.

• Robert D. Alverson* - Executive Director, Fishing Vessel Owner's Assn., Bothell, Wash.
• Donald K. Hansen - President, San Clemente Sportfishing, Inc., Dana Point, Calif.

North Pacific Council - The North Pacific Council includes members from the states of Alaska and Washington. The appointees for 2000 are for two Alaska obligatory seats and one Washington obligatory seat:

• David Benton - retired Deputy Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau, Alaska
• Robert C. Penney - recreational fisherman, Anchorage, Alaska
• David L. Fluharty* - Research Associate Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.

Western Pacific Council - The Western Pacific Council includes members from the American-flagged Pacific islands of American Samoa and Guam, the state of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The appointees for 2000 are for the American Samoa, Guam, and Hawaii obligatory seats:

• Bryan Y.Y. Ho - Attorney-at-law, manager of longline fishing vessels, Kaneohe, Hawaii
• Judith P. Guthertz* - Academic Vice President, University of Guam, Agana, Guam
• Aitofele T. Sunia* - Legislature of American Samoa, Pago Pago, American Samoa