CHATHAM, Mass. — December 8, 2014 — In August, Tom Dempsey was reappointed by Gov. Deval Patrick to his second three-year term on the regional fishery management council. But in October, Dempsey, the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance policy director, resigned from the New England Fishery Management Council because he had taken a job as senior fisheries policy director with The Nature Conservancy in Monterey, California.
“He was an innovative thinker who was very appreciated for that, not just in this office, but in the greater (fishing) community,” said John Pappalardo, CEO of the alliance, who has now submitted the paperwork to replace Dempsey for the remainder of his expired term. He praised Dempsey’s diplomatic approach as well as his principles. “He was very bright and he didn’t go in there (to the council) to make friends.
"He went in to make a difference,” said Pappalardo.
The New England Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils nationwide responsible for plans to manage commercial and recreational fishing. The New England council has 18 voting members, including state and federal fisheries officials, fishermen, fishing industry representatives, environmentalists and the occasional scientist.
Read the full story from the Cape Cod Times