Candidates sought for New England fishery council vacancy

DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire is looking for candidates to fill a vacancy for the state on the New England Fishery Management Council.

The council is one of eight regional councils in the United States. It’s charged with conserving and managing fishery resources off the shorelines of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

To assist in filling the vacancy, the state Fish and Game Department’s Marine Fisheries Division will host a candidates’ interview night on Feb. 7 at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth.

Candidates will be interviewed by the Advisory Committee on Marine Fisheries and representatives of the New Hampshire Commercial Fishermen Association and Coastal Conservation Association–New Hampshire. The public is also invited to attend.

The process of filing council seats requires the governor of each New England state to submit the names of at least three candidates to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for consideration. New Hampshire uses a public process to recommend candidates for the governor to consider.

Interested applicants should contact Cheri Patterson, Chief of Marine Fisheries at (603) 868-1095.