March 4, 2026 — Democrats on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee are questioning the appointment of New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association Chief Strategist Dustin Delano as NOAA’s “Fisherman in Residence,” a newly created position held by someone who also works for a regional commercial fishing advocacy group.
“We are concerned that this singular position cannot speak for the diverse fishing communities and fishing sectors across our country and are concerned with NOAA’s lack of transparency regarding the appointment of this position and the role,” U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (D-Oregon) said in a joint letter. “For the sake of the 2.1 million jobs that rely on healthy, sustainably managed fisheries, we seek full transparency regarding the role of ‘Fisherman in Residence.’”