OCEAN TOWNSHIP – This week, Governor Murphy formally appointed Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (D-Neptune) as New Jersey’s legislative representative on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate commission that works to coordinate and manage fisheries resources along the Atlantic coast of the United States, including saltwater fish, shellfish, and migratory fish.

“I’m honored to accept this appointment,” said Assemblyman Houghtaling, who serves as Chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in the State Assembly. “I know how important aquaculture is to our state’s economy and culture, especially along the Jersey Shore, and I believe that our states can achieve greater things together than we ever could apart. I look forward to working alongside my fellow Commissioners to ensure that our fisheries are well-tended, protected from pollution and poaching, and conserved for future generations.

The commission, whose founding charter recognized that “fish do not adhere to political boundaries,” serves as a deliberative body that coordinates the conservation and management of fisheries that lie along the Atlantic shoreline.

Each state is represented by three Commissioners, including a member of the state legislature, the director for the state’s marine fishery management agency, and an individual appointed by the governor. Member states include Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.