Steering committee

Isaac Forster

International Steering Committee Chair, Isaac Forster – Fisheries and Observer Reporting Coordinator, Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

Isaac currently coordinates the CCAMLR Scheme of International Scientific Observation and is responsible for all vessel and observer reporting requirements for CCAMLR fisheries. Isaac has over 20 years’ experience in Antarctic and South Atlantic Fisheries having worked as an observer in the Falkland Island’s Fisheries, and previously as an Antarctic field researcher for the British Antarctic Survey in both terrestrial and marine Antarctic environments. Isaac has also worked extensively on marine policy and planning heading one of five pilot marine projects for the Scottish Government in the Sound of Mull area.

Amy Sierra Martins

Supervisory Fishery Biologist, Deputy Division Chief, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S.A

Amy Martins is the Deputy Division Chief for the Fisheries Monitoring and Research Division (FMRD) at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) in Woods Hole Massachusetts, for the National Marine Fisheries Service.  As the Deputy Division Chief, Amy works in budget, communications, training, hiring, and contracts and serves as the Facility Director at the NEFSC Technology Park.  Amy has worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service since 1991, starting out as an observer on scientific, fishing, and opportunistic research platform vessels. She has a Wildlife Biology and Forestry Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Science degree from the University of Maine Orono, in Wildlife Management.

Jennifer Ferdinand

Division Director, Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S.A

Jennifer Ferdinand became the Director of the Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division in December 2017. Jenn first joined NOAA in 1998 after experiencing the intersection of science and management first hand as a fisheries observer in the groundfish and crab fisheries. After 10 years with the Fisheries and Monitoring Division as a debriefer, observer training, and Program Manager, she moved into the position of Planning Officer where she was integral to developing and implementing the Center's strategic planning process.

Ken Keene

National Observer Coordinator, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S.A

Ken joined the NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology in January 2021 as the National Observer Program Coordinator. Ken hails from the state of New Jersey. He has held several different positions within NOAA Fisheries over the past 20 years, including the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s lead for their Mid-Atlantic Observer Program. He also worked in the Southeast Fisheries Science Center developing, and eventually managing, the Southeast’s Pelagic Observer Program. He has an extensive background in safety, not only as a marine safety instructor but also as a volunteer firefighter and a NOAA Small Boat Instructor.

Lisa Borges – FishFix

Dr L. Borges is an independent consultant for her own consulting firm FishFix (www.fishfix.eu). Lisa has been a fisheries scientist for over 25 years. Lisa graduated in Marine Biology and Fisheries from the University of Algarve, Portugal in 1995, and holds a PhD on discards from demersal fisheries from the National University of Ireland since 2005. Prior to FishFix, Lisa worked for the European Commission in Belgium (2007-2010), where she developed conservation policies for fish stocks in Atlantic waters. She has worked for fisheries research institutes in Portugal (IPIMAR), Ireland (Marine Institute) and in The Netherlands (IMARES). Her main area of expertise relates to the environmental impact of fisheries, and specifically on discards and bycatch analysis, management and policy development.

Professor Steve Kennelly

Director, Archipelago Asia Pacific

Steve Kennelly is an Executive-level fisheries consultant and marine scientist with over 35 years’ experience. He is the former Chief Scientist of the NSW Department of Primary Industries and has had many other academic and advisory roles. In particular, he has worked extensively on the quantification and solution of by catch and discarding issues throughout the world. He has supervised hundreds of fisheries-related research programs in many developed and developing countries and regularly works for the United Nations FAO, US NMFS, European Union, Australian Commonwealth government, and several other national and state governments. He has published hundreds of scientific papers, reports, books and keynote addresses and sits on the Editorial Boards of the world’s two leading fisheries journals. He holds a PhD, the prestigious DSc degree (University of Sydney) and is an Honorary Adjunct Professor at Macquarie and Southern Cross Universities.

Greg Hammann

Director, Strategic Business Development and Sustainability – Marine Instruments

Dr. Greg Hammann is the Director of Strategic Business Development and Sustainability at Marine Instruments and is supporting their Electronic Monitoring global initiative. Greg has over 35 years’ experience supporting the international commercial fishing industry, fishing oceanography and satellite remote sensing science and technology. Greg was the founding chief oceanographer and Operations & Engineering Director of the SeaStar Fisheries Information Service at Orbimage/GeoEye/DigitalGlobe. Previously Greg was a Professor & Researcher, and founder of the Fisheries Ecology research group at CICESE, in Baja California, Mexico. Greg enjoyed the experience of being a NMFS Fisheries Observer for the Japanese longline fishery in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska during a two-month deployment. Greg holds a Ph.D. from George Mason University, and a M.S. In Biological Oceanography from Oregon State University.

Cory Webster

Chief, Enforcement Programs, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada

Cory is the National Chief of Enforcement Programs and Operations for the Conservation and Protection branch of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, providing strategic guidance and policy direction on a variety of subjects including the At-Sea Observer and Dockside Monitoring Programs. Corey began his career as a Fishery Officer conducting monitoring, control and surveillance activities on a variety of different species and fisheries, conducted public outreach and educations sessions and participated in marine mammal events. Corey then moved onto working with the National Fisheries Intelligence Service coordinating the enforcement response/programs at a regional level. Corey holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree, with a major in Environmental Science from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

John LaFargue

Coordinator, West Coast Groundfish Observer Program, U.S.A

John currently works for NOAA Fisheries coordinating for the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program. He oversees the deployment and safety of groundfish observers along the west coast of America.  He has over 25 years experience in four different observer programs and has been involved with observer safety & training for more than 20 years.  John still enjoys going to sea every year on surveys as well as fishing recreationally.

Jørgen Dalskov

Senior Fisheries Advisor, Technical University of Denmark

Jørgen Dalskov is Senior Fisheries Advisor at the National Institute for Aquatic Resources at the Technical University of Denmark. He is the head of the secretariat for public sector consultancy and is the Danish national correspondent for fisheries data collection in relation to the European Union.

Jørgen has been working on data collection, fish stock assessment and been coordinating the scientific advice to the Danish Ministry for Fisheries, the Danish Fisheries Agency and to the Danish fishing industry. Jørgen started the first remote electronic monitoring trials in Denmark and in Europe in 2008 and has since been involved in electronic monitoring related work.

Justin Clement

Manager Observer and Verifications, Fisheries New Zealand

Justin currently provides operational leadership at the strategic and systems level for New Zealand’s Fisheries Observer Services and the stage one Cameras on Vessels programmes of work. Justin has over 13 years’ experience with the New Zealand Government’s Fisheries Observer Services spanning the full breadth of the programmes work streams, including: frontline at sea observation, training development and IT solutions, operational and strategic programme management.

Justin brings tertiary qualifications in aquatic ecology, physical geography and resource management, and professional cookery (past life). Justin tends to focus on safety, quality service delivery, and continuous improvement.

Elizabeth Scott-Denton

Fisheries Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.A

Liz obtained her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University with a seminal dissertation describing U.S. southeastern shrimp and reef fish resources and their management.

Her paper, "Characterization of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic penaeid and rock shrimp fisheries based on observer data," won the best publication of the year in Marine Fisheries Review.

Liz has worked with NOAA Fisheries for more than three decades. Currently, she develops and administers the Southeast Fisheries Science Center Galveston Laboratory offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and southeastern Atlantic shrimp and reef fish observer programs for scientific and fishery management purposes. She is the Principal Investigator on Fisheries Information System Electronic Monitoring projects in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery, and provides fishery/observer program knowledge and data in multiple stock assessments.

Luis Cocas

Observer Program and Bycatch Coordinator, Undersecretariat for Fisheries, Chile

Luis Cocas is a Marine Biologist from the University of Valparaíso (Chile), with over 22 years of experience in fisheries sciences and management, acquired through his work with local and foreign universities, as well as with private and governmental agencies. Within his experience, highlights his former work as a fisheries observer for NOAA's North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, between 2003 and 2011.

Currently Luis coordinates the Observer Programs and Bycatch Programs at the Undersecretariat for Fisheries in Chile, where along with a team of colleagues has leaded the implementation of significant improvements in regulation, training and certification for observers as well as the incorporation of new monitoring technologies like EMS.

Luis has been an active participant of the Conference presenting the Chilean progresses at the last 3 IFOMCs and being part of the Steering Committee for the 7th, 9th and 10th versions of the IFOMC.

Lesley Hawn

Supervisory Fish and Wildlife Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.A.

Lesley began her fisheries career at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, as a Lab Technician working on the Blue Crab Winter Dredge and Pfiesteria Survey.

In 2001, she began working with NOAA as a Fisheries Observer with the Pacific Islands Regional Observer Program (PIROP) and after three years of excitement at sea, she transitioned to a data debriefer with PIROP.  Lesley has held several positions within NOAA Fisheries, such as an Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consulting biologist where she coordinated with Federal partners to develop strategies to minimize impacts on ESA-listed species.

In 2021, Lesley returned full circle as a co-manager of PIROP, where she oversees how observer data is shared with science and regulatory partners, the development of the PIROP’s eReporting application, and the contract for observer provider services.