Contact:  Scott Smullen             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                    6/30/97

U.S. Commerce Secretary William A. Daley today announced the appointment of 30 members to eight regional fishery management councils that work in partnership with the federal government to manage the nation's marine fishery resources.

The councils, established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their respective geographical areas of responsibility. The management plans are submitted for review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service, and approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

Each year about one-third of the 71 voting members appointed to obligatory and at-large seats complete their terms. Selections are made to replace outgoing members from candidates nominated by the governors of the affected states. Council members are appointed to three-year terms and may serve no more than three consecutive terms (in some cases, appointments also are made to complete unexpired terms).

A new council seat was created in October 1996, when President Clinton signed into law amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Act that, among other things, called for a member of an Indian tribe to serve as a voting member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. James E. Harp, policy representative of natural resources for the Quinault Indian Nation, will serve a three-year term through August 2000.

The councils represent diverse fisheries interests and are composed of members whose combined knowledge and experience represent a balance of commercial and recreational fisheries interests for each geographical area concerned.

Note:   *   indicates the individual is being reappointed.
        **  indicates the individual is being appointed to a seat vacant 
due tothe resignation of a former member; at this time, the individual 
is being appointed to serve a three-year term through August 2000.

          Obligatory seats                        
     James M. Kendall                   Frances W. Blount, Jr.
     Executive Director                 Owner/Operator/President
     New Bedford Seafood Coalition      Frances Fleet
     New Bedford, Mass.                 Peace Dale, R.I. 

     Barbara D. Stevenson*              D. Douglas Hopkins
     Portland fish Exchange             Senior Staff Attorney
     Portland, Maine                    Environmental Defense Fund
                                        Woodstock, Conn.                      

Mid-Atlantic Council -- The Mid-Atlantic Council includes members from the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. The 1997 appointees are:

          Obligatory seats
     James E. Douglas, Jr. **      Gary A. Caputi*
     Newport News, Va.             Publisher
                                   Big Game Fishing Journal                                                    Point Pleasant, N.J.

          At-large seats
     Robert Hamilton, Jr.*         Nancy M. Targett*
     Owner/Operator                Associate Dean
     F/V "Miss Nancy"              University of Delaware
     Greenport, N.Y.               Graduate College of Marine Studies
                                   Lewes, Del.             

South Atlantic Council -- The South Atlantic Council includes members from the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The 1997 appointees are:

          Obligatory seats
     Juan M. Sanchez               Belinda F. Flanigan*
     Executive Director            President/Operator
     Monroe County Commercial      Chimney Creek Fishing Camp, Inc.
     Fishermen, Inc.               Chimney Charters, Inc.        
     Marathon, Fla.                Tybee Island, Ga.

          At-large seats
     Obadiah F. Love, Jr.*         James S. Moffitt, Jr.*
     Owner/Operator                Chief Executive Officer
     Love's Seafood Restaurant     Guilford Packaging and Fiber
     Savannah, Ga.                 High Point, N.C.         

Caribbean Council -- The Caribbean Council includes members from the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The 1997 appointee is:

          Obligatory seat                    At-large seat
     Patricia A. Skov*                  Miguel A. Sanabria*
     Skov Fishing Company               President
     St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands     Dorado Marine Center
                                        Dorado, Puerto Rico

Gulf of Mexico Council -- The Gulf of Mexico Council includes members from the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The 1997 appointees are:

          Obligatory seats
     Robert L. Shipp*                   Myron J. Fischer**
     Professor and Chair of             Charterboat Owner/Operator
         Marine Sciences                Cutoff, La.
     University of South Alabama
     Mobile, Ala.

     Karl J. Lessard*
     Owner/Operator
     Captain Bee Fisheries
     Marathon, Fla.

          At-large seats
     Albert L. King, Sr.*               Harolyn Kay Williams
     Gulf Shores, Ala.                  Pascagoula, Miss.

Pacific Council -- The Pacific Council includes members from the states of California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The 1997 appointees are:

          Obligatory seats
     James G. Caito*                    Hans D. Radtke
     Caito Fisheries, Inc.              Yachats, Ore.
     Fort Bragg, Calif.                      

          At-large seats
     Robert C. Fletcher*                Robert D. Alverson
     President                          Executive Director
     Sportsfishing Association          Fishing Vessel Owners' Assoc.
         of California                  Seattle, Wash.
     San Diego, Calif.

          New seat  (Tribal Indian Representative)
     James E. Harp
     Policy Representative for Natural Resources
     Quinault Indian Nation
     Taholah, Wash.

North Pacific Council -- The North Pacific Council includes members from the states of Alaska and Washington. The 1997 appointees are:

          Obligatory seats
     Richard B. Lauber*                      Joseph M. Kyle, Jr.
     Alaska Manager and Vice President       Pacific Associates, Inc
     Pacific Seafood Processors Assoc.       Juneau, Alaska                  
     Juneau, Alaska
  

   David L. Fluharty*
     Research Associate Professor
     School of Marine Affairs
     College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences
     University of Washington
     Seattle, Wash.

Western Pacific Council -- The Western Pacific Council includes members from the state of Hawaii, the American-flagged Pacific islands of American Samoa and Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. The 1997 appointees are:

          Obligatory seats
     Aitofele T. Sunia                  Judith P. Guthertz*
     Legislative Counsel                Professor of Public
       Administration                        and Legal Studes
     Legislature of American Samoa      Mangilao, Guam
     Pago Pago, American Samoa          

     James D. Cook*
     Chair
     Pacific Ocean Producers
     Honolulu

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