The former deputy assistant secretary of Commerce for oceans and atmosphere in the first Trump administration has taken the reins at NOAA Fisheries.
Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, the former chair of the Caribbean Fishery Management Council who has also represented the United States on several international fisheries councils, will oversee a $320 billion industry that faces major economic, regulatory and management challenges. He replaces a career scientist and regulator, Emily Menashes, who has been acting NOAA Fisheries chief since January.
The Commerce Department said Piñeiro Soler “has enjoyed a long and illustrious life in fisheries management,” adding that “he has been a successful commercial fisherman, fisheries captain, and entrepreneur in his home island of Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean.”
Piñeiro Soler’s moves will be closely watched, said one former senior NOAA official who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the appointment.
