June 27, 2024 — North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) appointees must be announced by June 27; shakeups are expected.
Governors of AK and WA have ‘preferred’ nominees
The deadline to name names is June 27 – and if you’re making bets, the odds are in favor of two new Alaskans being seated on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) on August 10.
The NPFMC has jurisdiction over the 900,000-square-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Alaska that includes oversight of dozens of groundfish and crab species. Alaskans hold five voting seats on the Council.
In mid-March, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy submitted to the US Secretary of Commerce the names of John Moller of Juneau, John Jensen of Petersburg and Sam Rabung of Juneau to be considered for the obligatory commercial fishing seat.
Jensen has been a member of the NPFMC since 2018 and Rabung currently is head of the Commercial Fisheries Division of the AK Dept. of Fish and Game.
Industry watchers predict Moller will be “a slam dunk” for the NPFMC seat.