Duane Harris Georgia Obligatory Seat 105 Demere Retreat Lane St. Simons Island, GA 31522 912/638-9430 (ph) seageorg@bellsouth.net

Charles Duane Harris of St. Simons Island, Georgia was appointed in June 2003 to serve as an obligatory member to the South Atlantic Council for the state of Georgia. With a long history of fisheries management, Duane has served as a marine biologist and manager with the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources since 1970, when the agency was first known as the Georgia Game & Fish Commission. He retired from the agency in April of 2002 as Director of the Coastal Resources Division.

Duane also has a long history with the South Atlantic Council, first serving on the Snapper Grouper Plan Development Team in 1977. In 1983, he was appointed to the Council as Georgia’s state representative and served as Chairman of the Council before leaving in 1986. "I strongly believe in the fishery management council process," stated Harris. "It provides scientists directly involved in marine fisheries management the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with fishers who make their living utilizing those same resources. While the council process has been criticized recently, as long as a membership in the council is balanced, as has been the case for the SAFMC since the beginning, it is an excellent process." He has also served as a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and was Chairman of the Commission from 1989 until 1991.

Even after retirement, Duane continues to work to protect the natural resources of Georgia, working as a natural resource manager for Little St. Simons Island and as a naturalist and charter fisherman with Sea Georgia Adventures Company.

"The SAFMC has significant challenges in the near future and I look forward to participating in the ongoing dialogue to bring effective and balanced management to the marine fisheries resources in the South Atlantic area."