{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-congratulate-robin-alden-of-stonington-on-white-house-recognition-as-a-champion-of-change", "Collins, King Congratulate Robin Alden of Stonington on White House Recognition as a “Champion of Change”", "2016-10-05", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King Congratulate Robin Alden of Stonington on White House Recognition as a \u201cChampion of Change\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, October 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated Robin Alden of Stonington, a former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, on being named a \u201cChampion of Change for Sustainable Seafood\u201d by the White House. Robin is one of 12 people from across the country to receive the award, which recognizes local leaders who have devoted themselves to helping the United States become a global leader in sustainable seafood management. She will be formally recognized during a ceremony at the White House this\u00a0coming Friday, October 7, 2016 beginning\u00a0at 1:00 p.m.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe are tremendously proud of Robin and are grateful for her incredible, collaborative work with Maine fishermen, scientists, and regulators to implement strategies and models that will help ensure the sustainability of this important facet of our economy for decades to come,\u201d\u00a0Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. \u201cWith threats like climate change and ocean acidification impacting Maine\u2019s coastal waters, Robin\u2019s work is more important and more needed than ever before. We thank her and applaud the White House for rightly naming her a Champion of Change.\u201d\r\n\r\nRobin Alden is the founding Executive Director of Penobscot East Resource Center, Maine\u2019s center for coastal fisheries in Stonington, Maine. She led a path-breaking effort to bring shared management to Maine\u2019s lobster fishery, now recognized internationally as a model for sustainable fisheries. Robin served as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources under then-Governor King, where she was responsible for Maine\u2019s marine and anadromous fishery management and enforcement and aquaculture in the state. She was also the publisher and editor of both Commercial Fisheries News and Fish Farming News and a public member of the New England Fishery Management Council.\r\n\r\nThe United States fishing industry is critical to the economic health and well-being of communities across the country, supporting 1.7 million jobs and contributing nearly $200 billion to the economy in 2014. However, our marine ecosystems are under threat from multiple stressors, including climate change and ocean acidification. The need for innovation in sustainable fisheries has never been greater.\u00a0Local leaders serve as the backbone of our communities, working to build resilient coasts and striving to protect the at-risk towns whose futures depend on the recovery of our fisheries. These Champions of Change are ensuring that the United States is a global leader in sustainable seafood management.\r\n\r\nFriday\u2019s ceremony will be livestreamed\u00a0HERE.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-congratulate-robin-alden-of-stonington-on-white-house-recognition-as-a-champion-of-change"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5117048751562834, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}