In assuming the chairmanship, Mr. Diodati spoke enthusiastically about his new position, "I am honored to be elected and look forward to working with my colleagues from the 15 Atlantic coast states, federal marine fishery management agencies, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and the District of Columbia to ensure the continued conservation and management of Atlantic coast marine fishery resources."


"Robert Boyles has accomplished a great deal during his chairmanship," stated Mr. Diodati. "During his tenure, protection and management measures for the Commission's most contentious species greatly increased. Under his leadership, northern shrimp, Spanish mackerel, spot, and spotted seatrout all came under new management programs. The Commission worked closely with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils to address river herring bycatch in federal waters. Greater protection has been extended to diadromous species, such as shad and river herring, with the closure of state waters in the absence of approved sustainability management plans. A multispecies approach to management was advanced; the horseshoe crab Adaptive Resource Management Framework was developed and the Atlantic menhaden stock assessment included data on predator demands. The horseshoe crab trawl survey received funding through nontraditional sources, including the biomedical and commercial fishing industries. NEAMAP also saw increased funding, from ~$260k in 2008 to ~$1.1mil for 2012. During my two-year term, I hope to build upon these accomplishments, furthering the Commission's long-term vision for healthy, self-sustaining marine fishery resources by 2015, which in turn allows for healthy fisheries from these stocks."


Paul Diodati has nearly 30 years of experience in the field of natural resource management. He has been involved in Commission activities since the 1980s, serving on technical committees and the Artificial Reef Committee. He has served as an Administrative Commissioner since his appointment as Director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries in 2000, participating in boards and sections including those for striped bass, northern shrimp, and shad and river herring. As a former Chair of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Coordinating Council, Mr. Diodati played an instrumental role in the early development of the Program. He represents Massachusetts on the New England Fishery Management Council and serves as an ex officio member of the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council.

Republished with permission from SeafoodNews.com