Council Members
The Council has 13 voting members and three non-voting members. A chair and four vice chairs (one from Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the CNMI) 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 of the members are private citizens who are familiar with the commercial and/or non-commercial fisheries, marine conservation or both. They are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce from lists submitted by the Governors of each of the island areas:
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John Gourley, Micronesian Environmental Services (2020-2023, CNMI, obligatory), Chairman |
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Manuel “Manny” Duenas, Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association (2021-2024, Guam, obligatory), Vice Chair |
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Matthew Ramsey, Conservation International (2021-2024, Hawaii, obligatory), |
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McGrew Rice, Ihu Nui Charters (2020-2023, CNMI, at-large) |
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Roger Dang, Fresh Island Fish Co. (2020-2023, Hawaii, at-large) Vice Chair |
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William Sword, Pacific Energy South-West Pacific Ltd (2022-2025, American Samoa, obligatory) Vice Chair |
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Dr. Judith Guthertz University of Guam (2022-2025, Guam, at-large) |
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Shaelene Kamaka’ala Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (2022-2025, Hawaii, at-large) |
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Sylvan Igisomar CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources (Designated) Vice Chair |
Four designated state officials:
- Dawn Chang, Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources, DLNR Chairperson
- Taotasi Archie Soliai, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources, Director
- Sylvan Igisomar, CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources, Acting Secretary
- Chelsa Muña, Guam Dept. of Agriculture, Director
Four designated federal officials:
- C. Colin Brinkman, U.S. Department of State, Office of Marine Conservation, Foreign Affairs Office
- RADM Michael Day, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District, District Commander
- Sarah Malloy, Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, Acting Regional Administrator
- Brian Peck, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – RAMNM , Superintendent
Standing Committees
- American Samoa Archipelago Ecosystem
- William Sword
- Brian Peck
- Taotasi Archie Soliai
- Enforcement/VMS
- McGrew Rice
- Taotasi Archie Soliai
- Chelsa Muña
- RADM Michael Day
- Executive and Budget
- Sylvan Igisomar, Vice Chair, CNMI
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Manny Duenas, Vice Chair, GU
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John Gourley, Chair
- William Sword, Vice Chair, AS
- Roger Dang, Vice Chair, HI
- Fishery Rights of Indigenous People
- Sylvan Igisomar
- Chelsa Muña, Chair
- William Sword
- Matthew Ramsey
- Judith Guthertz
- Hawaii Archipelago & PRIA Ecosystems
- Dawn Chang
- Matthew Ramsey, Chair
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Roger Dang
- Brian Peck
- McGrew Rice
- Shaelene Kamaka’ala
- Mariana Archipelago Ecosystem
- Sylvan Igisomar, Co-chair
- Chelsa Muña
- Manny Duenas, Co-chair
- John Gourley
- Brian Peck
- Judith Guthertz
- Pelagic & International Ecosystems
- Roger Dang, Chair
- Sylvan Igisomar
- Roger Dang
- Taotasi Archie Soliai
- Sarah Malloy
- Program Planning & Research
- Sylvan Igisomar
- Matthew Ramsey
- Sarah Malloy
- Judith Guthertz
- John Gourley, Chair
- Protected Species
- Brian Peck
- Manny Duenas
- Dawn Chang
- Roger Dang
- Sarah Malloy
- McGrew Rice, Chair