Non-Traditional Stakeholders Sought for Participation in ASMFC Coastal Shark Advisory

[NCangler]

Washington, DC - The Commission's Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks
Management Board is in the process of establishing a Coastal Sharks
Advisory Panel. As part of that process, the Board is seeking nominations
from non-traditional stakeholders to fill two seats on the Advisory Panel.
Examples of such stakeholders include, but are not limited to,
non-governmental organizations, grassroots organizations, and
individuals/groups with an interest in coastal shark conservation.

The intent of this action is to broaden the scope of public input to the
Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board as it develops an
Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Sharks. The Commission
believes that input from non-traditional stakeholders will strengthen its
efforts in successfully managing coastal sharks. Individuals interested in
serving as advisors can obtain an advisory panel nomination form by
contacting the Commission at (202)289-6400 or downloading the nomination
form via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/ad_panel.htm. A
completed nomination form must be submitted to the Commission by 5:00 PM on
February 16, 2006.

The Commission's advisory panel process was established in 1994 to address
its increasing responsibilities under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries
Cooperative Management Act. The Act mandates, among other considerations,
that the Commission provide adequate public participation in its fishery
management planning process, including at least four public hearings and
procedures for submission of written comments to the Commission. In 2002
the Commission established the Advisory Panel Oversight Committee,
comprised of a subset of legislative and governor-appointed Commissioners
and Advisory Panel Chairs, to provide oversight to its advisory panel
process. Advisory Panels have been developed for Atlantic croaker, Atlantic
herring, Atlantic menhaden, American eel, American lobster, black sea bass,
bluefish, horseshoe crab, northern shrimp, red drum, scup, shad & river
herring, spiny dogfish, striped bass, summer flounder, tautog, weakfish,
and winter flounder.

For more information, please contact Tina Berger, Public Affairs
Specialist, at (202)289-6400 or tberger@asmfc.org.
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Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202)289-6400
FAX: (202)289-6051
Email: tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org

ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast
fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.