The
Billfish Foundation’s Ellen Peel, two others
named
by President Obama to key White House posts
FT LAUDERDALE,
Florida, USA — Ms. Ellen Peel, the much respected
president and CEO of
The Billfish Foundation, who has also served for three
years as a U.S. representative to the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), has been named by President Obama as U.S. Commissioner to
ICCAT.
The announcement by the White House,
along with the appointments of two others, was made May 10. Russell F. Smith III was also named a
U. S. Commissioner to ICCAT. The third
appointee was Caitlin Durkovich,
named to the Department of Homeland Security as Assistant Secretary for
Infrastructure Protection.
In making the appointments President
Obama said, “It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable
individuals have agreed to join this Administration and serve the American
people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years
ahead.”
Because of her
passion and dedication to marine resources, Ellen was asked in 2009 to serve as
the Acting U.S. Recreational Fishing Commissioner to ICCAT, pending final
approval by the President.
ICCAT is a 42-year old
inter-governmental fishery organization of some 50 member nations responsible
for the conservation of tunas and migratory species like billfish and sharks in
the Atlantic Ocean, and its adjacent seas like the Mediterranean and the Gulf of
Mexico.
Peel said, “I’m very much honored to
be appointed to serve for the White House in the Commissioner position. The
challenges are great, but I am committed to advancing and defending the fishing
opportunities for all U.S. fishing interests, including raising the priority of
both the recreational fishing industry and the billfish species.”
Peel recently began her 16th year
as the head of TBF, a post many in billfishing and marine conservation say was a
position she was born for.
Growing up in Long Beach, Miss.,
with the Gulf of Mexico as her back yard, she’s at home on deep blue water
oceans as she is fly fishing a remote trout stream. She broadened her
appreciation for the outdoors by working for the National Park Service, before
pursuing a law degree at Ole Miss. With a desire to represent big migratory fish
including billfish species she continued her studies with a masters of law in
marine resources at the Univ. of Washington in Seattle. With her specialization
she worked in Washington D.C. at the Center for Marine Conservation getting a
solid background with the law-making process.
Despite many challenges like the
reduced worldwide populations of billfish caused by commercial longlining and
netting, her message has remained clear – good conservation pays in benefits to
the fish stocks, the oceans’ ecosystems, improved fishing opportunities, strong
economies and prepared future generations of ocean stewards and users. Through education, research, science,
advocacy and uniting the recreational fishing community as one powerful voice,
TBF’s accomplishments have been many including key socio-economic work in
Central and South America, its Tag & Release program and worldwide
technology on three oceans.
Now in its 26th year The
Billfish Foundation works globally to advance the conservation of billfish and
associated species and to improve the health of oceans and dependent economies.
TBF’s website is billfish.org. Ms.
Peel can be reached at 800-438-8247 ex
108.
