About Us

The Council has 13 voting members and three non-voting members. A chair and four vice chairs (one from each island area) are elected annually by the Council members.

Council members must balance competing interests while trying to make decisions for the overall benefit of the nation. Council members are advised by the Council's advisory panels and committees, Council staff, the public, states and territories, academia and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Eight members who are nominated by the governors of Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and CNMI and selected by the Secretary of Commerce:

• Manuel Duenas, Guam Fishermen's Cooperative Association (Guam)
• Edwin Ebisui, fishermen (commercial) (Hawaii)
• Stephen Haleck, business owner (hotel and gas station) (American Samoa)
• Julie Leialoha, Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve (Hawaii)
• Mike Goto, United Fishing Agency Ltd. (Hawaii)
• McGrew Rice, commercial & charter fisherman (Hawaii)
• Richard Seaman, education and outreach specialist (CNMI)
• William Sword, recreational fisherman/civil engineer/manager (American Samoa)

Four designated state officials:

• William Aila, Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources
• Mariquita Taitague, Guam Dept. of Agriculture
• Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources
• Arnold Palacios, Acting Secretary of CNMI Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Four designated federal officials:

• Mike Tosatto, Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service
• TBD, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
• RAdm RADM Charles W Ray, U.S. Coast Guard 14th District
• Bill Gibbons-Fly, U.S. Department of State

Standing Committee

• American Samoa Archipelago Ecosystem

  • Stephen Haleck, Chair

  • Mike Goto

  • William Sword

  • Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga

  • Manny Duenas

• Enforcement/VMS

  • Arnold Palacios, Chair

  • McGrew Rice

  • RADM Charles Ray

  • Bill Gibbons-Fly

  • Stephen Haleck

  • Julie Leialoha

  • Mike Goto

  • Michael Tosatto

• Executive and Budget

  • Manuel Duenas, Chair, Guam

  • Stephen Haleck, Vice Chair, American Samoa

  • Edwin Ebisui, Vice Chair, Hawaii

  • Arnold Palacios, Vice Chair CNMI

• Fishery Rights of Indigenous People

  • Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga
  • Arnold Palacios

  • Stephen Haleck

  • Mariquita Taitigue, Chair

  • Julie Leialoha

• Hawaii Archipelago & PRIA Ecosystems

  • RADM Charles Ray

  • McGrew Rice

  • Edwin Ebisui, Chair

  • Julie Leialoha

• Mariana Archipelago Ecosystem

  • Richard Seaman

  • Arnold Palacios, Chair
  • Manny Duenas
  • Mariquita Taitigue

• Pelagic & International Ecosystems

  • Mike Goto, Chair

  • RADM Charles Ray
  • Arnold Palacios
  • Bill Gibbons-Fly
  • Edwin Ebisui
  • Michael Tosatto
  • Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga
  • Manny Duenas

• Program Planning & Research

  • William Sword
  • Michael Tosatto
  • Edwin Ebisui
  • Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga, Chair
  • Mariquita Taitigue

Financial Disclosures for Nominated Members:

• Edwin Ebisui
• Julie Leialoha
• McGrew Rice
• Michael Duenas
• Michael Goto
• Richard Seman
• William Sword