Committee recommends four nominees to Marine Resources Advisory Council

The Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources voted unanimously to recommend four nominees to the Marine Resources Advisory Council during a public hearing that also included brief member introductions and staff reports.

Joe Bushey, director of boards and commissions for Governor Mills, presented the governor's nominees and urged the committee to support them. He described nominees' industry and conservation experience when presenting Jeffrey Reardon of Manchester, Curtis Haycock of Millbridge, Ryan Raber of Falmouth and Dana Hammond II of Bristol. "On behalf of the governor, I urge you to support his nomination," Bushey said when introducing each candidate.

Jeff Reardon told the committee he has spent nearly 30 years in fisheries conservation and restoration work and said Maine has led a successful sea-run fisheries restoration effort: "Last year, not counting substantial commercial harvests, more than 16,000,000 river herring returned to the Kennebec and Penobscot," he said, citing restored runs after dam removals. Reardon said he would bring conservation and management experience to the council if confirmed.

Curtis Haycock joined the hearing virtually and summarized nearly three decades as a lobster fisherman and scallop dragger, and prior service on the scallop advisory council and a commercial fishing safety council. Representative Stroud testified in support, saying Haycock "works really hard in our area to be a good representative."

Ryan Raber described more than 20 years in commercial fishing, including purse seining and trawling for herring and mackerel and operations that include pollock in Alaska. He said he would advocate for "balanced, workable policies" that reflect the realities of those whose livelihoods depend on access to marine resources.

Dana Hammond II was moved forward in his reappointment in absentia; Joe Bushey summarized Hammond's three decades of commercial-fishing experience and participation in fisheries science surveys. Committee members confirmed the term length question — terms are generally three years for these council slots — before voting.

For each nominee the committee closed public testimony and took a roll-call vote; the clerk recorded "unanimous of those present and voting" for all four nominees. The committee will send written notice of its recommendations to the president of the Senate; nominees proceed to the Senate for final confirmation.

The committee moved from the nominations to language-review business after completing the votes and congratulating the nominees.

Next step: The Senate will consider the committee's recommendations on each nomination; the committee noted that Senate roll-call votes may register "no" votes that reflect opposition to overturning a positive committee recommendation, not necessarily opposition to the nominee.