Mr. Wise announced that Messrs. Dave Relyea, Joseph McBride and Tom Melton had been reappointed to the Council. He introduced new councilors Ms. Sima Freierman and Mr. Tom Jordan, who had recently been appointed to the Council seats previously occupied by Messrs. Tom Knobel and Mike McCarron, respectively. Ms. Freierman, a commercial fishery representative, manages the Montauk Inlet Sea Food fishing dock, which serves draggers, pin-hookers, and charter and party boats. She has been involved with scientific monitoring and believes in science-based solutions. Her background is management and lobbying at the state level. Mr. Jordan is president of the New York State Commercial Hook and Line Association. He has been a pin-hooker for 18 years, and runs a commercial marina in Montauk where he is in daily contact with diverse users. Although his focus will be on the needs of commercial pin-hookers, he wishes to strive for fair and equitable allocation of marine resources.

Chairman Wise pointed out that three vacancies on the Council remained, all to be filled on the nomination of individuals to DEC Commissioner Crotty by the office of the New York State Senate Majority Leader. Mr. Wise and Gordon Colvin, head of DEC’s Bureau of Marine Resources, have been in contact with that office and the offices of other State Senators urging the nomination of qualified individuals, but, to date, no nominations have been forthcoming. Mr. Wise noted that two of the vacant seats on the Council were designated for recreational fishery representatives and suggested that the sitting recreational fishery councilors and other recreational fishery organizations had an interest in seeing these positions filled and the recreational/commercial balance on the Council reestablished.

Chairman Wise announced that there were only three recreational fishery Councilors present at the meeting, which was below the number established by the Council to constitute a quorum. Thus, the Council could take no official positions at today’s meeting.