Governor Makes Salmon Commission Appointments

Jay Barrett/KMXT
Alaska’s governor has nominated four sitting members and two new faces for positions on the Northern Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The panel has five Alaskans and five Canadians on it, and five alternates for each country. The final selection of members will be made by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
Governor Parnell nominated Clay Bezenek, of Ketchikan; Mitchell Eide, of Petersburg; Robert Thorstenson Jr. of Juneau; and Dennis Longstreth and Howard Pendell, both of Sitka. Brennon Eagle, of Wrangell was nominated as an alternate.
All six have extensive experience as fishermen, as well as serving on various associations, panels, committees and councils, both fisheries-related and in local government.
Parnell has also nominated John Clark to the Trans-boundary Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission’s That panel provides technical and regulatory advice to the Pacific Salmon Commission relating to management of salmon stocks originating in the Alsek, Taku and Stikine rivers, for both in-river and terminal area fisheries. Clark has worked with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game since 1975.

Bezenek has been a commercial fishing for 30 years, and this is his first nomination to the commission as a member.
Eagle, has more than 35 years of experience fishing, and this is his first nomination.
Eide, is a commercial fisherman and lifelong Petersburg resident. He has served on the panel since 2006.
Longstreth, has been involved in the salmon trolling since 1973, and has served on the panel since 2000.
Pendell, has been a commercial salmon troller and long-liner since 1974, and has served on the panel since 2001.
Thorstenson, of Juneau, is executive director of the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association. He has served on the panel since 1996.