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NOAA'S MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY ANNOUNCES NEW RECREATIONAL FISHING REPRESENTATIVES ON ADVISORY COUNCIL

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary today announced the appointment of one new member and one alternate to serve on the site’s advisory council in a newly created recreational fishing seat. The sanctuary is managed by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Howard Egan was named to fill the new open primary seat representing recreational fishing. Egan lives in Santa Cruz County and has been a recreational fisherman for more than 25 years. He is an active member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance and the Coastside Fishing Club. He has served as the alternate fishing representative on the sanctuary’s advisory council since February 2004. Joseph Stoops was selected as the alternate for the seat. Stoops also lives in Santa Cruz County and has been sportfishing in the region since 1968. He is owner and operator of Chartle Sportfishing Charters and is a member of United Anglers.

“Recreational fishing is an important activity in the sanctuary and it is critical that recreational fishermen are well informed about the sanctuary’s ecosystem protection mandate, its research and education programs, and the opportunities that exist for them to be involved in ocean stewardship activities,” said Acting Sanctuary Superintendent Holly Price. “We look forward to working with these gentlemen to enhance the communication and outreach needed to reach the broader recreational fishing community and to hear about the issues of concern to them.”

The director of the National Marine Sanctuary Program recently approved an amendment of the advisory council’s charter to incorporate the new recreational fishing seat. The sanctuary’s advisory council recommended the addition of a recreational fishing seat after considering input from a subcommittee established to evaluate council membership and at the urging of recreational fishers.

The newly appointed members’ terms will run until February 2007. They will be sworn in at the advisory council’s Dec. 3, 2004 meeting at the Costanoa Lodge in Pescadero, Calif. The meeting is open to the public.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council was established in March 1994 to assure continued public participation in the management of the sanctuary. Serving in a volunteer capacity, the advisory council’s 20 voting members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public, plus seven local, state and federal government jurisdictions. Alternates attend meetings when primary members are not available and assume a seat if a primary member resigns. Since its establishment, the advisory council has played a vital role in advising the sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues and is currently focused on the sanctuary’s development of a new five-year management plan. The advisory council meets bi-monthly in daytime public sessions at locations throughout the 276-mile stretch of coast bordering the sanctuary.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary stretches along 276 miles of central California coast and encompasses more than 5,300 square miles of ocean area. Renowned for its scenic beauty and remarkable productivity, the sanctuary supports one of the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems, including 33 species of marine mammals, 94 species of seabirds, 345 species of fishes and thousands of marine invertebrates and plants.

NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase the public awareness of America’s maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs. Today, the sanctuary program manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and one coral reef ecosystem reserve that encompass more than 150,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources.

NOAA’s National Ocean Service manages the National Marine Sanctuary Program and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nation’s coasts and oceans. The National Ocean Service balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.


On the Web:
NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
National Ocean Service: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov
National Marine Sanctuary Program: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: http://montereybay.noaa.gov
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council:
http://montereybay.noaa.gov/intro/
advisory/advisory.html