For Immediate Release
June 29, 2023
The Secretary of Commerce recently announced the appointment of three members to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. The appointees begin their three-year terms on August 11, 2023. Each of the three new members, who fill at-large seats, are appointed for their first term on the Council.
Captain Ed Walker from Florida is a charter captain, commercial hook-and-line fisherman, and avid tournament angler. He is also a fly fisherman, state champion free diver, and holds over 30 International Game Fish Association records. Captain Walker has served as the Council’s Reef Fish Advisory Panel Chairman since 2019 and also serves on the Council’s Coastal Migratory Pelagic Species Advisory Panel. Throughout his fishing career, he has worked extensively with researchers from numerous agencies to improve fisheries science and management across the region.
Dr. Anthony Overton hails from Alabama. He is a life-long recreational angler and has spent his career in the field of natural sciences. He serves as Chair and Professor for Samford University’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and he works as the Graduate Director for Masters in Environmental Health, Policy and Management for Howard College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Overton is no stranger to fisheries management; he has served as a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and as a member of the International Committee for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
Dr. Kesley Banks from the State of Texas has an extensive background in marine science. She works as a research scientist at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M in Corpus Christi, where her current research focus on migration patterns of marine life. Dr. Banks is well versed in fisheries management and has served on the Council’s Coastal Migratory Pelagic Advisory panel and works as a technical advisor of the International Commission of Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee. Ms. Banks also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Coastal Conservation Association.