Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo appointed eight new members to NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, bringing the group’s membership to the full complement of 21. The Committee advises the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on all marine life matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce.
The eight new members are:
- Kristina Alexander, Corpus Christi, Texas: Endowed Chair for Marine Policy and Law, Texas A&M University; Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies
- Jaime Diamond, Carpinteria, California: CEO, General Manager Santa Barbara Landing LLC; Owner, Stardust Sportfishing
- Jamie Goen, Seattle, Washington: Executive Director, Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers
- Amy Green, Arnold, Maryland: Assistant Clinical Professor, University of MD
- Jim Green, Destin, Florida: Master/Captain, F/V American Spirit
- Bobbi Hudson, Olympia, Washington: Executive Director, Pacific Shellfish Institute
- Marissa Merculieff, St. Paul Island, Alaska: Director, Office of Justice and Governance Administration for Aleut Community of St. Paul
- John Young, Cleveland, Ohio: Vice President, Purchasing and Operations, Euclid Fish Co.; Sea Pact
“The input, discussions, recommendations, and advice we receive from these members has been so valuable to me and our agency," said NOAA Fisheries’ Assistant Administrator Janet Coit. Committee members draw on their expertise to evaluate and make recommendations on national marine life policies. The members represent a wide spectrum of fishing, aquaculture, protected resources, environmental, academic, tribal, state, consumer, and other related national interests from across the United States. They ensure the nation’s marine resource policies and programs meet the needs of these stakeholders.
“I am very excited to welcome the eight new members to the Committee. As the new Chair, I look forward to learning from and growing alongside this incredible group of folks that are deeply passionate about our marine ecosystems. We are at a critical moment in time, needing to address significant challenges in the conservation and management of marine resources. The expertise and diverse background of these members will help strengthen our collective learning and recommendations to the Agency”, said Jocelyn Runnebaum, Chair of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.
In the past year, the Committee has been working on:
- Identifying guiding principles to better define and help NOAA support climate-ready fisheries, fisheries management, and fishing communities
- Gathering stakeholder knowledge and perceptions about the effectiveness of deterrents to mitigate or eliminate interactions of marine mammals with fishing gear and at docks and related structures
- Developing recommendations for the agency to build greater transparency and stakeholder support for strategic mission-critical multi-year investments
- Providing recommendations on the Seafood Import and Monitoring Program and implementation of the National Seafood Strategy
