NOAA Names New Head of Law Enforcement Office

U.S. Coast Guard veteran James Binniker on Sept. 23 took office as the new director of the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, charged with protecting the nation’s protected marine resources, places and habitats, and promoting sustainable fisheries management.

Prior to joining NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement as assistant director in 2022, Binniker served for 26 years in the Coast Guard. His work ran the gamut of law enforcement, search and rescue, environmental pollution response, and maritime security operations on multiple ships and shore-based commands.

In his last assignment as the chief of the Fisheries Enforcement Division in the Office of Maritime Law Enforcement Policy, he oversaw Coast Guard units conducting domestic fisheries enforcement, marine resource protection, and counter-IUU fishing operations.

Janet Coit, NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, said that given Binniker’s extensive enforcement background and level of experience with marine issues nationally and internationally, he would hit the ground running, especially in the ongoing fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing globally.

Binniker holds a master’s degree in marine affairs from University of Rhode Island and a Certificate in Criminal Investigator Training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He also has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va.