One new member, one reappointment
Angela “Angel” Drobnica and Nicole Kimball were appointed this week to three-year terms on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The women were nominated by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and approved by the US Commerce Secretary.
Drobnica, who lives in Juneau, is Director of Fisheries and Government Affairs for APICDA (Aleutian-Pribilof Island Community Development Association). The group represents six communities: Akutan, Atka, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski and St. George Island.
Drobnica has been a longtime member and chair of the NPFMC Advisory Panel. She also has served on the board of the Alaska Sealife Center, as an alternate board member of the Marine Conservation Alliance, as chair of the Western Alaska Community Development Association and a member of the Alaska Mariculture Task Force.
Drobnica replaces one-term council member Cora Campbell, CEO of Silver Bay Seafoods and former commissioner for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Nicole Kimball of Anchorage was reappointed to a second term on the NPFMC. Kimball is vice president of Alaskan operations for the Pacific Seafood Processors Association.
PSPA is a nonprofit trade association representing seafood processing companies in the policy, regulatory, and legislative arenas since 1914.
Prior to joining PSPA, Kimball served as Federal Fisheries Coordinator for the ADF&G and represented the state in regional, national, and international venues.
NPFMC is one of eight US fishery management councils
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) is the main law that governs fishing in U.S. federal waters, ranging from 3 to 200 miles offshore. First passed in 1976, the MSA established a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and created eight regional fishery management councils to manage our nation’s marine fishery resources.
Each council works closely with NOAA Fisheries to develop, review, approve and implement the plans.
The North Pacific Council manages six fishery management plans (FMPs) covering 140+ species within 47 stocks and stock complexes, including pollock, cod, rockfish, crab, scallops, halibut, and state-managed salmon fisheries.
Because they are advisory bodies, the fishery council members are exempt from conflict of interest requirements, as described by the general counsel document below:
“RULES OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS OF REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCILS 2018”
