June 28, 2017 — The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council announced it has a new executive director last week. Former Deputy Director David Witherell will be taking over for Chris Oliver, who was appointed to manage fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The council manages halibut and ground fish in the Gulf of Alaska, along the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea. Witherell said he’s prepared to take over the position.
“Fortunately my predecessor Chris Oliver spent quite a bit of time training me to take over the reins, and he gave me a deep understanding of the type of work and gave me the experience to understand what I was getting into as executive director someday,” Witherell explained.