USA: NFI completes merger with US Tuna Foundation

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The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) announced today the completion of the association’s merger with the US Tuna Foundation (USTF). The combined organisation, led by NFI President John Connelly, will continue its mission to educate the public about the importance of increasing fish consumption, including canned and pouched tuna.

NFI has established a Tuna Council, comprised initially of Bumble Bee Foods LLC, Chicken of the Sea International and StarKist Seafood, and funded through a special assessment of the participating companies. The Tuna Council welcomes two staff, Randi Parks Thomas and Mary Anne Hansan, who focus on issues specific to tuna.

“Randi and Mary Anne are excellent additions to the NFI staff,” Connelly said. “With Randi’s years of experience in the seafood industry with USTF and Mary Anne’s expertise in marketing, their work will help set the record straight about the sustainability and nutritional benefits of canned and pouched tuna.”

Thomas has worked with the US tuna industry for more than 25 years holding various positions in Washington, D.C. Her expertise is in working with federal agencies and foreign governments on issues related to sustainability of fish stocks and food safety. In the international arena, President Bush appointed Thomas to represent the United States as a Commissioner on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. She has served on US delegations to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Fish Stocks Agreement, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

Mary Anne Hansan has more than 20 years experience in marketing and branding, corporate communications and issues management campaigns. Prior to joining NFI, Hansan worked at Porter Novelli, a global PR agency on diverse issue and brand assignments, including high-visibility advocacy campaigns. She spent 15 years in trade associations where she spearheaded integrated communications campaigns for the chemical, plastics and flower industries.