U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo appointed seven new members to NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) on Wednesday, including Ocean Strategies founder and lifelong commercial fisherman, Brett Veerhusen. The new appointees were chosen through a public process, from a pool of qualified applicants from across the country.
“It is an honor to be appointed to MAFAC alongside these other incredible representatives,” Veerhusen said. “Thank you to the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries for calling on this strong group of stakeholders to contribute to America’s fisheries future.”
MAFAC, established in 1971, advises the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. Members represent a diverse set of perspectives, including commercial, recreational, aquaculture, seafood and consumer, tribal, academic, environmental, and protected resources. Members draw on their expertise to evaluate and make recommendations on national living marine resource policies to ensure those policies and resulting programs meet the needs of diverse stakeholders.
The seven new members are:
- Natasha Hayden, Kodiak, Alaska
Vice President of Lands & Natural Resources, Afognak Native Corporation - Meredith Moore, Washington, D.C.
Director, Fish Conservation Program, Ocean Conservancy - Linda O’Dierno, Somers, New York
Project Specialist, National Aquaculture Association - Jocelyn Runnebaum, Ph.D., Bath, Maine
Fisheries Project Manager, Nature Conservancy - Sarah Schumann, Warren, Rhode Island
Owner/Principal, Shining Sea Fisheries Consulting, LLC - Clayward Tam, Kailua, Hawaii
Cooperative Fisheries Research Coordinator, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group - Brett Veerhusen, Seattle, Washington
Principal, Ocean Strategies, Inc.
