August 16, 2012 — This week’s free dockside tour of Viking Village Commercial Seafood Producers in Barnegat Light will have a special guest present. John K. Bullard, the new administrator for the Northeast Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service, will be on hand Friday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m. at 18th Street and Bayview Avenue in Barnegat Light.
The dock tours are as visual as they are educational, to give the public a close-up look at the commercial seafood industry. The tour discusses three main fisheries: scalloping, gillnetting and longlining. Visitors get to see the facility in operation, along with a fresh display of the seafood.
The tours also inform the public about how local fishermen have been working alongside the federal regulators to manage the resources through sustainable practices. This is the topic that Bullard will talk more about, along with Viking Village operators.
The administrator assumed his duties Aug. 6. The Northeast Region is headquartered in Gloucester, Mass., and covers coastal states from North Carolina to Maine. The office manages federal commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals, habitat and much more. Bullard will also oversee critical aspects of international fisheries conservation and management in the region.
“His efforts will continue to strengthen NOAA’s partnerships with fishing communities as we work together to build an economically vibrant and sustainable future,” said Sam Rauch, acting assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, on Bullard’s appointment.
To register for the dock tour, at no charge, call the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce at 609-494-7211. Space is limited.
Two more dock tours are left on the 2012 season calendar after this week’s tour, Fridays, Aug. 24 and 31, at 10 a.m. Registration is required.
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