NOAA's eight regional Fishery Management Councils are supposed to play an integral role in helping the agency manage the nation's fisheries. Individual members of each Council influence its efforts and decisions, and about one-third of the 72 total Council members are appointed each year.

This year, 13 new members are joining the ranks, and 8 others are being reappointed. Their 3-year terms begin Aug. 11, 2011. The shift in members provides an opportunity to explore what each Council has been doing, whether the new people will shift its direction (and NOAA's), and what the fishing industry, the public, and various interest groups think about past decisions and future directions.

• NOAA press release [2] on the new members, June 2, 2011.
• Fishery Management Councils. [3]

For more information on the Councils, and many ideas on angles to investigate regarding the new appointees, see the TipSheet of July 8, 2009. [4]