About Us

The Council has 13 voting members and three non-voting members. A chair and four vice chairs (one from each island area) are elected annually by the Council members.

Council members must balance competing interests while trying to make decisions for the overall benefit of the nation. Council members are advised by the Council's advisory panels and committees, Council staff, the public, states and territories, academia and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Eight members who are nominated by the governors of Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and CNMI and selected by the Secretary of Commerce:

• Stephen Haleck, business owner (hotel and gas station) (American Samoa)
• William Sword, recreational fisherman/civil engineer/manager (American Samoa)
• Richard Semen, education and outreach specialist (CNMI)
• Manuel Duenas, Guam Fishermen's Cooperative Association (Guam)
• McGrew Rice,charter fisherman (Hawaii)
• David Itano, pelagic fisheries researcher (Hawaii)
• Sean Martin, Pacific Ocean Producers (Hawaii)
• Julie Leialoha, Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve (Hawaii)

Four designated state officials:

• William Aila, Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources
• Mariquita Taitague, Guam Dept. of Agriculture
• Ray Tulafono, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources
• Arnold Palacios, Acting Secretary of CNMI Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Four designated federal officials:

• Mike Tosatto, Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service
• Don Palawski, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
• RAdm RADM Charles W Ray, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District
• Bill Gibbons-Fly, U.S. Department of State

Standing Committee

• American Samoa Archipelago Ecosystem

  • Stephen Haleck, Chair

  • Sean Martin

  • Don Palawski

  • William Sword

  • Ray Tulafono

  • Manny Duenas

• Enforcement/VMS

  • Arnold Palacios, Chair

  • McGrew Rice

  • RADM Charles Ray

  • Bill Gibbons-Fly

  • Stephen Haleck

  • Julie Leialoha

  • Sean Martin

  • Michael Tosatto

• Executive and Budget

  • Manuel Duenas, Chair, Guam

  • Stephen Haleck, Vice Chair, American Samoa

  • David Itano, Vice Chair, Hawaii

  • Arnold Palacios, Vice Chair CNMI

• Fishery Rights of Indigenous People

  • Ray Tulafono
  • Arnold Palacios

  • Stephen Haleck

  • Mariquita Taitigue, Chair

  • Julie Leialoha

• Hawaii Archipelago & PRIA Ecosystems

  • RADM Charles Ray

  • McGrew Rice

  • David Itano, Chair

  • Don Palawski

  • Julie Leialoha

• Mariana Archipelago Ecosystem

  • Richard Semen

  • Arnold Palacios, Chair

  • Don Palawski

  • Manny Duenas
  • Mariquita Taitigue

• Pelagic & International Ecosystems

  • Sean Martin, Chair

  • RADM Charles Ray
  • Arnold Palacios
  • Bill Gibbons-Fly
  • David Itano
  • Michael Tosatto
  • Ray Tulafono
  • Manny Duenas

• Program Planning & Research

  • William Sword
  • Michael Tosatto
  • David Itano
  • Ray Tulafono, Chair
  • Mariquita Taitigue

Financial Disclosures for Nominated Members:

• Manuel Duenas
• Stephen Haleck
• David Itano
• Sean Martin
• William Sword
• Julie Leialoha