By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Petersburg fisherman Gerry Merrigan, government affairs officer for Prowler Fisheries, was named Dec. 29 to fill a vacant seat for Alaska on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Merrigan, a commercial fisherman since 1981, will serve on the council until Aug. 10, 2009.

A former director of the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association, Merrigan trolls commercially for salmon and also has halibut quota shares.

Murkowski recommended to the Department of the Interior in late October that Merrigan fill the post vacated when another Petersburg commercial fisherman, Arne Fuglvog, accepted a post as fisheries policy advisor with Murkowski's daughter, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act responsible for preparing fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their respective geographical areas of responsibility.

Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.