NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking nominations by Monday, June 16 from individuals interested in filling 7 membership positions on the American Fisheries Advisory Committee, which is responsible for making recommendations to the Commerce Secretary for Saltonstall-Kennedy financial assistance awards to address fishing community needs in optimizing economic benefits, as well as recommendations to assist in the development of annual Notice of Funding Opportunities related to the awards.
The 22-member Committee meets no more than three times annually, and nominees are specifically being sought for the following positions:
- Region 1 (Alaska, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa): One individual with experience as a recreational or commercial fisher and/or experience growing seafood
- Region 2 (Maine, New Hampshire Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut): One individual with experience as a seafood harvester or processor
- Region 3 (Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands): One individual with experience in the fisheries science community or relevant fishery management council
- Region 5 (New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia): One individual with experience as a seafood harvester or processor
- Region 6 (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania): Two individuals, including one with experience in the fisheries science community or relevant fishery management council, and one individual with experience as a recreational or commercial fisher and/or experience growing seafood
- At-Large Region: One individual with experience in the recreational fishing industry supply chain such as fishermen, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors