Governor Janet Mills is nominating Maine's former lead lobster biologist to be state's top fisheries regulator.
Carl Wilson has worked at the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) for 26 years, first leading the state's lobster research and monitoring programs. He currently leads the Bureau of Marine Science, which recently launched a new program dedicated to the study of right whales in the Gulf of Maine.
“His vast knowledge and experience in the science, policy and economics of Maine’s marine resource industries, combined with the strong relationships and mutual respect he has developed with Mainers who make a living on the water over his 26 years at DMR, will serve him well as the department’s next leader," Mills said in a statement announcing Wilson's nomination.
Wilson will replace Pat Keliher, who recently announced his retirement from the department in mid-March following high-profile tensions with the state's lobster industry.
"It’s a privilege to work on behalf of Maine’s critically important marine resource industries," Wilson said in a statement. "There are many challenges ahead and I will remain committed to the collaboration necessary to confront them. That approach has been a strong foundation of the department’s work under Commissioner Keliher.”
The Maine Lobstermen's Association referred to Wilson as a "rare leader in government who respects fishermen as professionals."
Wilson must first appear before the legislature's marine resources committee, and his nomination is subject to a vote in the Maine Senate.
Mills said she will appoint Wilson to serve as acting commissioner until the Maine Senate confirms a permanent DMR leader.
