June 30, 2021 — The federal Department of Commerce has filled five vacancies on the New England Fishery Management Council, bypassing the candidacy of the Northeast Seafood Coalition Executive Director Jackie Odell for two of those seats.
Odell was a candidate for the obligatory Massachusetts seat that went to Mike Pierdinock, a Cape Cod recreational fishing stakeholder who will be serving his first three-year term on the council.
Odell was Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s second choice for the Bay State’s obligatory seat that will become vacant Aug. 10 when council Chairman John Quinn retires after reaching the mandatory limit of three consecutive three-year terms.
She also was Baker’s first choice for the at-large seat that will become available Aug. 10 with the pending retirement of Vincent M. Balzano of Maine from the council. Balzano also reached his term limit of nine years.
Peter Seminara, Gloucester’s shellfish warden and Baker’s third choice for the at-large seat, also was passed over in this year’s round of appointments.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo chose to appoint Kristin ‘Togue’ Brawn of Maine to her first three-year term on the council for the at-large seat. Brawn operates a wholesale seafood business that sources scallops from Maine’s scallop dayboat fleet.