Dear Sea Grant Colleague;

In early June, the Sea Grant National Office convened its first meeting
of the four Focus Teams, to begin the task of implementing the goals and
strategies outlined in the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program
Strategic Plan 2009-2013: Meeting the Challenge. On behalf of the Safe
and Sustainable Seafood Supply Focus Team, we wanted to inform you of
our current status, and to open the door to what we intend to be a
transparent and participatory process.

As you may recall, there are three other Focus Teams, addressing Healthy
Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Coastal Development, and Hazard
Resilience in Coastal Communities. Taken together, these four areas
derive from the strategic planning process, respond to issues of major
importance to NOAA, and are consistent with the topical areas in which
Sea Grant has traditionally excelled.

Focus Team responsibilities include:

\- Facilitate planning, implementation, synthesis and reporting of Sea
Grant activities and accomplishments.

\- Identify new opportunities and directions for Sea Grant national and
regional initiatives.

\- Catalyze cooperative efforts among Sea Grant College Programs, the
NGSO, NOAA, other agencies and stakeholder organizations, and NGO\'s.

\- Provide a mechanism to further solidify Sea Grant\'s local, regional,
and national identity.

Members of the Safe and Sustainable Seafood Supply Focus Team are:

Terry Smith, Chair, NOAA/Sea Grant

Chuck Wilson, Vice Chair, Louisiana Sea Grant

Andy Lazur, NOAA Sea Grant (NSGO alternate)

Jeff Stephan, National Sea Grant Review Panel

Ron Baird, University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Vicki Clark, Virginia Sea Grant

Bill DuPaul, Virginia Sea Grant

Chris Moore, NOAA/NMFS

Dana Morse, Maine Sea Grant

Phil Moy, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Paul Olin, California Sea Grant College

Steve Otwell, Florida Sea Grant

Gil Sylvia, Oregon State University

Dan Williams, Washington Sea Grant

Jim Murray has been co-Chairing the team thus far together with Chuck
Wilson, given Terry Smith\'s recent injury.

To date, we have developed a draft suite of goals, objectives, and
performance measures, according to the Logic Model approach that Focus
Teams are applying. We intend to have this early draft of goals and
actions put into a distributable form by the middle of September, and to
that end, would like to emphasize our hope that you will participate in
the development of this work plan. All materials, and contact
information for the various Focus Teams are available on the National
Sea Grant Office website, at:
<http://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/input/focus/Focus_Areas_Page.html>. So, as
our draft matrix is posted, please know that your ideas and comments are
wanted. After all, our collective work is carried out in the different
programs around the country, and we are the ones who undertake it.

Additionally, since state programs should align their Strategic and
Implementation Plans with the National Plans, it makes sense that the
work outlined in the Safe and Sustainable Seafood Focus Team is
consistent with the efforts undertaken in the programs throughout the SG
network. Feedback from a broad portion of the network will help this
considerably.

Attached are our Operational Guidelines and a list of possible planned
activities for the year; we would also appreciate your comments on these
items and suggestions for other activities that could be considered by
the Team.

And there you have it. The Safe and Sustainable Seafood Supply Theme
Team is underway, and we have begun developing the work plan. Please do
your part to make sure we address important and relevant work areas, and
that our methods to do so are similarly appropriate. We will do our part
to listen well, to respond to input, and to post information for open
review in a timely fashion.

Best wishes

The SSST

Safe and Sustainable Seafood Focus Team

Operational Guidelines

(also posted on the SSST web site)

Preamble:

In the "Evaluation of the Sea Grant Program Review Process" Report, the
National Research Council (NRC) recommended that Sea Grant, "*Strengthen
strategic planning at both the national and individual program level.
The Strategic plans of the individual programs and the national program
should represent a coordinated and collective effort to serve local,
regional, and national needs*." In response to this recommendation, the
National Sea Grant College Program developed a new national strategic
action plan, "NOAA National Sea Grant College Program, Strategic Action
Agenda 2008-2012: Meeting the Challenge*."* All state program plans will
align to this national plan by Fall 2008. The SSSFT is one of four focus
teams that have been established as a new mechanism to enable Sea Grant
to implement the national, regional and state plans in an effective,
coordinated and collective manner.

The SSSFT derives from and functions similarly to Sea Grant's former
theme teams in fisheries, aquaculture and seafood science and technology
which it replaces. The SSSFT will help lead and coordinate Sea Grant's
activities in the Safe and Sustainable Seafood focus area. The SSSFT
will conduct its leadership mandate by organizing and mobilizing the Sea
Grant network to address the goals and objectives defined for the SSS
focus area as described in the national strategic plan.

Overarching purpose: To advise the National Sea Grant College Program
for the purpose of accomplishing the goals and strategies outlined in
the for the safe and sustainable seafood supply focus area as described
in the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program Strategic Plan 2009-2013:
Meeting the Challenge. Actions by the SSSFT must be consistent with the
goals and strategies outlined in the Sea Grant National Strategic Plan.

Duties:

In general, the SSSFT will emphasize global and national issues of high
political, economic and environmental priority that are consistent with
the NOAA/Sea Grant mission. Active and productive partnerships with
relevant NOAA programs, other federal agencies and national trade and
stakeholder groups are encouraged. The engagement and utilization of
high profile regional structures and activities, (e. g., NOAA regional
efforts, governor's alliances, IOOS and data management programs,
regional fisheries councils, etc.) should also be a priority. A safe and
sustainable seafood supply is interdependent with the global environment
and economy and as appropriate the SSSFT should entertain opportunities
for international activities of high profile. In such a complex
environment, responsibilities of the SSSFT should be broad and will
include but not be limited to the following:

Required:

1)  Facilitate planning, implementation, synthesizing and reporting of
    Sea Grant activities and accomplishments in the SSS focus areas.

    a.  Develop the national SSS implementation plan

    b.  Review SSS annual reports from the 32 Sea Grant programs for the
        purpose of synthesizing results and developing national impact
        stories originating from activities associated with the SSS
        strategic plan.

    c.  Assess progress in achieving SSS goals and objectives and
        recommend mid-course corrections as needed.

    d.  Periodically review the current Sea Grant and NOAA strategic
        plans and suggest needed revisions based on an analysis of
        current programming and future trends.

General (as time and resources permit):

1)  Identify and develop new opportunities and directions for Sea Grant
    national and regional initiatives.

2)  Catalyze cooperative efforts among Sea Grant college programs, the
    NSGO, NOAA, other agencies and commercial and recreational fishing
    organizations and environmental groups.  

> **Or** -- NGOs including commercial interests and organizations.  .  

3)  Provide a mechanism to further solidify Sea Grant's local, regional
    and national identity.

Routine/on-going:

1)  Serve as an intellectual resource to the NSGO, National Sea Grant
    Review Panel, Sea Grant Association and other Sea Grant networks.

2)  Represent Sea Grant SSSFT activities to outside audiences.

3)  Develop strategies to communicate outputs and services to key
    audiences, e. g., Congress, NOAA, DOC/OMB.

4)  Organize high profile events -- national meetings and symposia,
    DC-based press club forums and other high profile briefings and
    workshops.

5)  Generate and promote activities that attract new funding and
    leveraging of existing funds in cooperation with mutual interests
    and expertise.

6)  Prepare high profile reports and studies.

7)  Based on the SSSFT review of annual reports, generate
    recommendations to NSGO and SG programs to enhance their
    performance.

SSS Focus Team Internal Procedures:

A.  Chair and Vice-chair

In consultation with members of the team, the Chair and Vice Chair of
the SSSFT will establish rules and procedures to govern the business of
the team. Transparency and engagement with the Sea Grant network is the
responsibility of the Chair and Vice-chair. In general, the Chair will
have responsibility for keeping NOAA, the NSGO and relevant federal and
national NGO partners informed of activities while the Vice-chair is
responsible for maintaining communications of SSSFT activities with the
Sea Grant network. The SSSFT will make decisions by consensus among the
team members. If consensus is not possible, the Chair of the focus team
in consultation with the Vice-chair will serve as the final arbiter and
assume responsibility for all final decisions including budget
expenditures.

B.  Membership and appointment process

The SSSFT appointment period is for the duration of the strategic
planning period or through 2012, or until a member resigns. Nominations
for new members from Sea Grant and the broader community will be
solicited from the Sea Grant network and its partners and
recommendations for new members will be vetted with the leadership of
the NSGO and SGA. Members of the SSSFT will function on behalf of the
entire Sea Grant network, and not the individual programs or
organizations they represent. Depending on the agenda established by the
SSSFT, a commitment that involves upwards to two weeks of member time
can be expected each year. Depending on an adequate budget, it is
expected that travel and associated costs for SSSFT participation will
be covered by the NSGO. The SSSFT will meet at least once per year for a
minimum of one full day unless special circumstances arise. The SSSFT
will make an effort to piggyback its meeting with a location or venue
that accommodates the most members. Periodic conference calls and e-mail
will be used to maintain communications for rest of year.

C.  Creation of sub-committees

Given the multitude and complexity of the issues associated with the
SSSFT, it is expected that outside expertise will be needed from time to
time to address new or emerging issues. As needed and at any time,
subcommittees or working groups can be formed and include external
participants to address these issues. Subcommittees will be appointed by
the Chair and Vice-chair in consultation with the members.

D.  Activities, Budgets and Expenditures

The SSSFT will develop an annual work plan that will serve as a guide
for the activities of the team. During the work plan development
process, input for needed activities will be solicited from the entire
Sea Grant network. The plan will be developed by the entire team and all
"official/public" activities, including the team's output will be based
on comment and review by all team members prior to final decision. The
plan will include a budget that will be submitted for decision to the
Director of the NSGO and other funding partners as needed. A mid-course
self-evaluation will be conducted which addresses the effectiveness,
operations and contributions to the Sea Grant mission objectives.

Safe and Sustainable Seafood Focus Team

Possible Activities 2009

1\) Serve as a steering committee for the biennial Sea Grant/NMFS\
sponsored symposium at the annual meeting of the American Fisheries\
Society, Sept. 2009.\
\
2) Send a dear colleague letter to the Sea Grant networks (SGA,\
Assembly, educators, communicators, etc.) that describes the proposed\
activities of the focus team and invites their input and collaboration.\
Ask if individuals would like to be added to the listserv or have ideas\
or request for actions by the team.\
\
3) Organize and sponsor a national symposium on coping with high energy\
costs for the fishing and aquaculture industries.  The symposium would\
address innovative harvesting, gear, engine and management approaches
to\
reducing energy costs and would include international participants.\
\
4) Collaborate with NMFS and USDA to conduct Sea Grant network inreach\
(capacity building) training programs in fisheries and aquaculture, and
seafood/aquaculture safety.\
\
5) When available, mine the ideas and priorities of the regional\
research and information plans as a needs assessment to help us\
determine activities and align our plans with the priorities of the\
regions.\
\
6) Organize a meeting of the regional research and information plan PIs\
and the focus team chairs and vice-chairs to facilitate needed
linkages.\
\
7) Consider funding a part-time graduate student at LSU to staff our\
focus team.  This graduate student would have responsibility for
helping\
the team write impact and success stories from the annual reports.

8\) Determine baseline measures (what and how to measure) and translate
these measures into practical actions for Sea Grant programs, including
conducting initial measurements.

9\) Through the USDA/CSREES research group known as W1004 \"Economics

And Marketing of Seafood,\" partner with USDA on strategic initiatives
identified in its five year plan.

10\) Participate in established forums and key organizational meetings
with a particular Sea Grant presences to advance and encourage
cooperation with the SSST process and concepts.

We talk in terms of \"global and national issues\" and also play the
regional tune.  One thing we need to keep in mind that much of our
funding comes from the state in the form of matching funds and
more\...but nowhere do I see the words \"local priorities\".  Is this
intentional to calm OMB?  Much of what we do builds from local
priorities that turn regional and even to national priorities.  So I
feel that leaving \"local\" or \"state\" priorities out of the
discussion is unkind.  Also, for the national workshop, I still like my
idea for \"critical challenges in fisheries and aquaculture\" with
energy challenges a part of the mix.