The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is seeking interested individuals for nomination to open seats on the New England Fishery Management Council. Candidates, “by reason of their occupational or other experience, scientific expertise, or training, must be knowledgeable and experienced in ways related to fishery resources of New England.” The seats that will be open to nominations are:

A Massachusetts obligatory seat currently held by Rodney M. Avila of New Bedford, who is completing his third consecutive term and is thus ineligible for re-nomination in 2012, and an at-large seat currently held by Glen A. Libby of Tenants Harbor, ME, who is completing his first term and is eligible for re-nomination.

The New England Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils that manage our nation’s marine fisheries seaward of state territorial waters. Responsibilities include the development of fishery management plans that are submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation.

Qualified individuals interested in being considered for nomination to the Council must contact and provide a resume to Shannon Davis (617-626-1621, shannon.davis@state.ma.us) by February 1, 2012. Applicants will then be required to complete a comprehensive nomination kit that will be provided by MarineFisheries and includes a philosophy statement and financial disclosure statement. For further information on the Council and the Council process, please visit www.nefmc.org.