John Williamson began a fishing career out of college in 1974, as a captain or crewman on commercial fishing vessels operating in New England, Florida and Alaska. He is skipper of the F/V Sea Keeper, a 40 foot vessel outfitted for specialty charters. He does professional consulting in living marine resource management and development.
John served nearly a decade on the New England Fishery Management Council, the primary body crafting regulations for federal-water fisheries in the Northeast. He has been a member of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council since its formation in 2001, and is the president of Stellwagen Alive!, Friends of Our National Marine Sanctuary. From 2006 through 2009, John managed the New England Fish Conservation program for Ocean Conservancy.
Trained in conflict resolution, John has a successful track record of bringing fishermen and scientists together in collaborative problem solving. He is a founding principal and co-leader of the Marine Resource Education Program, a curriculum in fishery science and management offered to commercial fishermen and marine resource professionals.
