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Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Team Members

The Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Team helped us develop a Take Reduction Plan that was published in December 1998 as a final rule. The Plan described in the final rule was intended to be an evolving plan that changed as scientists learned more about Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy harbor porpoise abundance and bycatch rates. NOAA Fisheries has retained the team and currently monitors progress via a monitoring strategy and identifies the need for Plan improvements. The Team is made up of fishermen, scientists, conservationists, and state and federal officials from Maine to North Carolina.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Table of Contents

Team Members

Gillnet Industry

  1. Jamie Hayward, Elliot, ME (Alternate: Dan Salerno)
  2. Todd Sutton, Newport, RI
  3. Jackie Odell, Gloucester, MA (Alternate: Phil Lynch)
  4. Douglas Feeney, Chatham, MA
  5. William McCann, Wareham, MA
  6. Ernie Bowden, Jr., Chincoteague, VA
  7. Bill Van Druten, Frisco, NC
  8. Sonny Gwin, Berlin, MD
  9. Leonard Voss, Smyrna, DE
  10. Rick Marks, Arlington, VA (Alternate: Chris Rainone)
  11. Greg DiDomenico, Fairfax, VA

State Fishery Resource Managers

  1. Somers Smott, Virginia Marine Resources Commission 
  2. Meghan Rickard, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (Alternate: Lisa Bonacci)
  3. Cheri Patterson, New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept. (Alternate: Renee Zobel)
  4. Erin Wilkinson, Maine Dept. of Marine Resources (Alternate: Meredith Mendelson)
  5. Scott Olszewski, Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries
  6. Michael Greco, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
  7. Erin Burke, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
  8. Stacy VanMorter, New Jersey Division of Fish, Game, and Wildlife 
  9. Angel Willey, Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
  10. Barbie Byrd, North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (Alternate: Casey Knight)

Federal Resource Managers

  1. Kristy Long, NOAA Fisheries, Headquarters
  2. David Wiley, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
  3. Dennis Heinemann, Marine Mammal Commission 
  4. Colleen Coogan, NOAA Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region

Fishery Management Organizations

  1. Robin Frede, New England Fishery Management Council 
  2. Karson Coutre, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
  3. Toni Kerns, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 

Academic/Scientific Groups

  1. Bill McLellan, University of North Carolina-Wilmington 
  2. Tara M. Cox, Savannah State University
  3. Sue Barco, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center (Alternate: Alex Costidis)
  4. Damon Gannon, University of Georgia Marine Institute

Gear Research

  1. Ron Smolowitz, Coonamessett Farm
  2. Pingguo He, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Conservation/Environmental Groups

  1. Kristen Monsell, Center for Biological Diversity (Alternate: Sarah Uhlemann)
  2. Regina Asmutis-Silvia, Whale and Dolphin Conservation
  3. Jane Davenport, Defenders of Wildlife

More Information

Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan

Contact: Jennifer Goebel, Greater Atlantic Region, Marine Mammal Specialist, (978) 281-9175

 

Last updated by Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office on 11/14/2022

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