Tom Williams, President
Mr. Williams began fishing with his father-in-law, a third generation fisherman, in the late 1960s and has been fishing ever since. He is the owner of fishing vessels Tradition and Heritage, out of Point Judith, Rhode Island… read more
Scott W. Lang,
Mr. Lang is an attorney in New Bedford and the former Mayor of New Bedford. He graduated from Marquette University and received his law degree from Georgetown University. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and
the District of Columbia. In addition he is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Attorney Lang served as the Special Assistant District Attorney in the Bristol County District Attorneys office from 1978 to 1990…. read more
Peter Barney, Treasurer
Mr. Barney is a retired administrator in the New Bedford Assessor’s Office, where he still works as a consultant. For 35 years, Mr. Barney worked for the City of New Bedford in various capacities, including in the Treasurer and Assessor’s Offices . . . read more
Meghan Lapp
With familial roots in Long Island, New York, Ms. Lapp grew up around the fishing industry. Ms. Lapp holds a Masters in Legal Science from Queens University Belfast.
She is an active voice in fisheries management, regularly attending fisheries Council meetings and currently works as an industry representative for Seafreeze Ltd… read more
Marc Agger
Mr. Agger, a former New Bedford fisherman, is the President of Agger Fish Corporation in Brooklyn, New York, focusing on processing and sales of Monkfish and Ankimo. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Yale and worked in Mergers and Acquisitions for a brief stint before transitioning into the fishing industry… read more
Bonnie Brady
Ms. Brady is the executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association in Montauk, New York. Prior to becoming the executive director, Ms. Brady was a journalist and worked in the Peace Corps. She became involved with fisheries management issues after attending a meeting with her husband, a fisherman, and seeing that the fishermen … read more
Richard Canastra
Mr. Canastra is the co-founder of the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, the number one auction house throughout New Bedford and Southern New England, and the Boston Seafood Display Auction. He is a Fairhaven native whose grandfather came to New Bedford from Portugal as a whaler for blackfish. Early in his fishing career, Mr. Canastra… read more
Harriet Didriksen
Ms. Didriksen is the owner and operator of New Bedford Ship Supply, one of the oldest ship chandleries on the East Coast. She comes from a long lineage of fishermen, including her grandfather and father, who emigrated to the U.S. from Norway and eventually made their way to New Bedford because of the access to Georges Bank… read more
Jim Fox
Mr. Fox is the President and owner of SeaFresh USA located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island and Handrigan Seafood in Narragansett, Rhode Island, premium processors of seafood. Mr. Fox’s facilities process various species of fish, including squid, monkfish, and squid, and sell its product both domestically and internationally… read more
Daniel Georgianna
Professor Georgianna has been the Chancellor Professor of Economics, at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth since 1978. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from College of the Holy Cross at Worcester, MA and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is an expert in marine resource economics… read more
David Goethel
Mr. Goethel is the owner and operator of the Ellen Diane vessel, a 44-foot fishing trawler, out of Hampton, New Hampshire. Mr Goethel fishes year round for cod and flounder in the spring and fall and silver hake and herring in the summer and shrimp in the winter. He was born in Boston and raised in Needham, MA and began fishing at the age of 13… read more
Dick Grachek
Mr. Grachek is a retired fisherman and Captain who has worked in the fishing industry for over 40 years out of Point Judith, Rhode Island and Stonington, Connecticut. He 
currently owns the vessel F/V Anne Kathryn, a 73-foot ground fish vessel. Mr. Grachek is a Long Island native who, for several years, has been a devoted and passionate… read more
Gail Isaksen
Ms. Isaksen is the owner of Isaksen Fish Co. and the Euro at Phoenix Store, both in Fairhaven. She is a lifelong resident of Fairhaven, who as the daughter and granddaughter of fishermen, grew up around the fishing industry. In addition to her Fairhaven businesses, Ms. Isaksen is very active in the local community… read more
Jim Kendall
Mr. Kendall is the Executive Director of New Bedford Seafood Consulting. He is a former scallop fisherman and Executive Director of New Bedford Seafood Coalition with over 50 years of experience in the fishing industry and with fisheries issues. Mr. Kendall was a member of a research team for the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation … read more
Malvin Kvilhaug
Mr. Kvilhaug is a scallop fisherman, based out of the Greater New Bedford area. His fishing roots are rich and deep, dating back on his paternal side to the Vikings in the 1500 and 1600s. Additionally, his maternal grandfather built fishing vessels. Mr. Kvilhaug was born in Norway and emigrated to the United States in 1961 at the age of 22… read more
Pamela Lafreniere
Ms. Lafreniere is an attorney serving the Greater New Bedford area and focusing on admiralty and maritime law. Ms. Lafreniere represents several New England commercial fishermen and also represented the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission in a case challenging the current catch-share management regime. As a testament to her… read more
Jim Lovgren
Mr. Lovgren is the Captain and owner of the F/V Sea Dragon out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, targeting whiting, fluke, and squid. He is a fourth generation fisherman who was raised and still resides in Brick, New Jersey. Mr. Lovgren’s grandfather, who was a lifelong fisherman himself, came to New Jersey from Sweden after World War I. … read more
Mark Phillips
Mr. Phillips is the owner and Captain of the F/V Illusion 83-foot stern dragger and primarily fishes yellowtail. He is from Greenport, NY and has been fishing off the waters of Long Island and New England for over 40 years. He docks the F/V/ Illusion out of 
Fairhaven, MA. Along with his wife, Mary Bess, he is the owner of Alice’s Fish Market… read more
Jimmy Ruhle
Mr. Ruhle is the Captain of F/V Darana R and the President of the Commercial Fishermen of America. He lives in Wanchese, North Carolina and is a third generation fisherman. His family has been involved in fishery management issues for years. Mr. Ruhle has testified on fishery management issues … read more
Nils Stolpe
Mr. Stolpe is a fisheries consultant from New Jersey, the Communications Director of the Garden State Seafood Association, and the primary author, architect, and designer of the website Fish-NetUsa.com. He holds a Masters of Science in Marine Biology and Environmental Planning degree. He has over 30 years experience working in the seafood industry, including … read more
Bob Vanasse
Mr. Vanasse is the Executive Director of Saving Seafood, an information resource and public outreach effort for the commercial fishing industry. Mr. Vanasse holds a Master’s in Political Theory/International Affairs from Georgetown University and Bachelor of Science degree in Management, Computer Science from Boston College. He has extensive … read more
Brian J. Rothschild
Dr. Rothschild is the Montgomery Charter Professor of Marine Science and former Dean of the School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Prior to joining the University of Massachusetts, Professor Rothschild held professorships at the University of Maryland and the University of Washington. He has had faculty or visiting scientist affiliations with the University of Hawaii; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; Institut fur Meereskunde, University of Kiel; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; and Harvard University… read more