Dr. Russell Brown is a distinguished fisheries scientist with a Ph.D. in Fisheries from Michigan State University, as well as an M.S. in Fisheries and a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Cornell University. With over two decades of experience in the field, Dr. Brown has made significant contributions to fisheries research and management. Russell began his career in 1994 at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, where he worked as a stock assessment biologist specializing in haddock and Gulf of Maine winter flounder. His expertise also extended to Atlantic salmon, and they served as the Scientific Advisor for the U.S. delegation to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, playing a crucial role in the conservation efforts for this iconic species. Between 2001 and 2011, Dr. Brown held a leadership position as the head of the Ecosystem System Surveys Branch. During this tenure, he led the successful transition of multispecies bottom trawl surveys from the R/V Albatross IV to the FSV Henry Bigelow. Dr. Brown was appointed as the Deputy Science and Research Director from 2012 to 2017, where he provided valuable guidance and strategic direction to the organization. Since 2017, he has held the position of Branch Chief of the Population Dynamics Branch, overseeing and guiding research activities related to population dynamics of marine species.

Scope and Content Note
Russell Brown discusses various aspects of fisheries management and the challenges associated with preventing overfishing. He acknowledges the political obstacles that often impede conservation efforts and the imperfect nature of fisheries science. He highlights the importance of international cooperation, particularly between Canada and the United States, in managing shared fish stocks effectively. Russell emphasizes the significance of long-term data collection and the success of certain management measures, such as area closures and efforts to reduce fishing pressure. However, he also acknowledges the limitations and mixed effectiveness of other strategies, such as vessel buyback programs and trip limits. Dr. Brown provides evidence of stock rebuilding and increasing spawning stock biomass since the 1990s, underscoring the importance of strong year classes and a diverse age structure. He stresses the need for continued low fishing mortality rates to ensure successful stock rebuilding and questions which historical period the fishery might eventually return to. Market demand and pricing were identified as significant factors impacting the fishing industry. While Russell briefly mentions the role of hatcheries for specific species, he expresses his personal opinion that hatchery augmentation may not be as effective for groundfish populations. He touches on ongoing research regarding larval and juvenile predators and their impact on cod and haddock stocks. He also addressed questions related to the effectiveness of trip limits, the development of haddock embryos, and the potential impact of subsidies on fisheries.