| Sustainable Fisheries Organization Chart |
About the Office of Sustainable Fisheries
The Office of Sustainable Fisheries supports national domestic policy issues and provides support to the regional fishery management councils. We manage Atlantic highly migratory species and work with federal partners to ensure the safety of seafood sold in the United States.
Read below to find out more about our work and locate division contacts.
For questions or comments about the Sustainable Fisheries website, please contact nmfs.sf.webmaster@noaa.gov
| Office of the Director |
| Alan Risenhoover, Director Emily Menashes, Deputy Director |
Phone: (301) 427-8500 |
| Location: SSMC3 - 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 | |
| Highly Migratory Species Management Division |
| Margo Schulze-Haugen, Division Chief | Phone: (301) 427-8503 |
| HQ Location: SSMC3 - 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 | |
| NE Branch: 55 Great Republic Drive, #200, Gloucester, MA 01930 • (978) 281-9260 | |
| SE Branch: 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • (727) 824-5399 | |
The Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division manages a number of fish species in U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters known as highly migratory species (HMS). These fish—tuna, sharks, swordfish, and billfish—live throughout the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico and often migrate long distances. Because these species cross domestic and international boundaries, NOAA Fisheries’ HMS Management Division is responsible for managing them under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. In cooperation with an advisory panel, the division develops and implements fishery management plans for these species taking into account all domestic and international requirements under the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Because these fish travel long distances, responsible management of HMS requires international cooperation through a number of agreements including the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
| Domestic Fisheries |
| Kelly Denit, Division Chief | Phone: (301) 427-8500 |
| Location: SSMC3 - 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 | |
The Domestic Fisheries Division provides national policy direction and performance oversight to ensure the continued sustainable management of our nation’s fisheries, primarily in federal waters. The division coordinates with NOAA Fisheries Headquarters offices, regional offices, science centers, and the regional fishery management councils on national policies and regulations to:
- Prevent overfishing and rebuild depleted stocks
- Implement annual catch limits and accountability measures
- Determine and track fish stock status
- Reduce bycatch
- Implement catch share programs
- Provide fishery disaster assistance
- Support recreational fishing
The division also partners with states and Interstate Marine Fisheries Commissions on fisheries issues that cross federal and state boundaries.
| Operations and Regulatory Services |
| Jenni Wallace, Division Chief | Phone: (301) 427-8505 |
| Location: SSMC3 - 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 | |
The Operations and Regulatory Services Division provides resources, support, oversight, and technical tools for the Office of Sustainable Fisheries to operate efficiently and effectively, while ensuring compliance with agency policy and regulations. The division provides operational and administrative services related to personnel actions, procurement, travel, property management, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and safety and environmental compliance. Staff also plan, allocate, and monitor national fishery management and Office of Sustainable Fisheries fiscal resources.
In addition, the division plans, develops, recommends, coordinates, and oversees procedures for clearing NOAA Fisheries fishery management regulations through NOAA Fisheries Headquarters, NOAA, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of Management and Budget. The division provides procedures and guidance that support publication of documents in the Federal Register and reviews and edits all NOAA Fisheries regulatory documents submitted to the Office of the Federal Register. Finally, the division develops guidelines for the operation and administration of the regional fishery management councils, including coordinating the Secretary of Commerce’s council appointments, training new council members, and publishing council meeting notices.
| National Seafood Inspection Lab |
| Dr. Jon Bell, Division Chief | Phone: (228) 769-8964 |
| Location: 3209 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 | |
The National Seafood Inspection Laboratory (NSIL), located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, is focused on two primary missions—promoting seafood product safety and quality and supporting seafood-related commerce and trade. NSIL has a broad range of expertise to support this mission, including:
- Analytical capabilities to ensure seafood product quality and safety
- Seafood forensics skills
- Seafood science, statistical, regulatory, and trade expertise
- Knowledge of seafood import and export programs
NSIL addresses a number of issues critical to making sure that U.S. seafood is safe for consumers—species substitution, the use of banned chemicals and antibiotics, seafood contamination assessments, and the science that supports U.S. guidance for seafood consumption. In addition, NSIL works cooperatively with federal and state agencies, international governments and organizations, and private industry on seafood safety and trade-related issues.
