Contact: Joe Mullin, New England States Coordinator
On October 29, Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher was elected to serve as the next Chair of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Chosen by the ASMFC member states, Commissioner Keliher will serve a two-year term in this official capacity.
Through his new position, Commissioner Keliher will be responsible for steering and implementing the ASMFC’s application of the “Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.” He stated in an ASMFC press-release, “While my obligation to the great State of Maine will always come first and foremost, I also recognize that Maine sits on boards for just 10 of the 27 species managed by the Commission. As Chair, I will be working with ASMFC leadership to shape the course of interstate fisheries management for more than just the Pine Tree State and will ensure substantial resources are devoted to issues of equal importance in the fisheries of the Mid- and South Atlantic states.”
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) would like to congratulate Commissioner Keliher, a Maine-native and sportsman, on his election to serve as Chair of the ASMFC. CSF looks forward to working with him and other members of the Commission to support sound, science-based fisheries management policy.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
