NEW CASTLE (AP) – Maine’s top fishery official has been tapped to lead an interstate commission that manages East Coast marine resources.

Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher was elected chair of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on Tuesday during a meeting in New Hampshire. Keliher, Maine’s marine resources commissioner for eight years, will take over for James Gilmore of New York as chair.

The Atlantic States commission crafts regulations for fisheries that range from Maine to Florida. Some of the most important species the commission manages include lobster, herring and shrimp.

Keliher’s slated to serve as the chair of the Atlantic States for two years. He says his goal’s to work with the commission to “shape the course of interstate fisheries management for more than just the Pine Tree State.”

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