September 4, 2015 — The quest to appoint an executive director of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission continues, with interim Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken saying she hopes to fill the paid position by the end of the year.
The position, which has been vacant since Vito Calomo left it almost two decades ago, remains on the books and Romeo Theken and the members of the Fisheries Commission seem to be in strong agreement that the time has come to put someone back in the job.
“I said right from the beginning of my term that this is something I want to do and something I think we need,” Romeo Theken said. “This would be someone not only to advocate for all of our fishermen and fishing-related industries, but enhance the profile of the city of Gloucester.”
Given the state of the commercial fishing industry, the job could be an arduous one, involving attendance at an unceasing schedule of meetings related to the regulation of the fisheries, as well as working with other city departments on economic development projects related to fishing and seafood.