Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission presented its Annual Awards of Excellence to an esteemed group of fishery and data managers, scientists, law enforcement officers and environmental attorneys for their outstanding contributions to fisheries management, science and law enforcement along the Atlantic coast. Specifically, the award recipients are Robert Ballou for management and policy contributions; Geoffrey White, Coleby Wilt, Alex DiJohnson, Sarah Rains, Michael Celestino, and John Sweka for science and technical contributions; and Casey Oravetz, Sara Block, Banumathi Rangarajan, Lauren Steele, Shane Waller, Shennie Patel, and Joel La Bissonniere for law enforcement contributions.
“Every year a great many people contribute to the success of fisheries management along the Atlantic coast. The Commission’s Annual Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding efforts by professionals who have made a difference in the way we manage and conserve our fisheries,” said ASMFC Chair Jim Gilmore of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “I am humbled by the breadth and extent of accomplishments of this year’s recipients and am grateful for their dedication to Atlantic coast fisheries.”
Management & Policy Contributions
Mr. Robert Ballou, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
For nearly a decade, Mr. Robert Ballou has brought a wealth of knowledge and policy acumen to the Commission’s fisheries management programs and elevated the decision-making of all species management boards that he has served on through his work ethic, strong leadership, and expertise. In particular, Mr. Ballou has shown outstanding leadership on two very high profile and consequential Commission management bodies – the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board and the Atlantic Menhaden Board. Over the past several years and in particular as Board Chair since 2017, Mr. Ballou is responsible for much of the progress that has been made on summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass management. These species are particularly challenging given they are jointly managed with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and are highly influenced by changes in ocean temperatures. As Chair, Mr. Ballou has led the Board through difficult deliberations, leading to the adoption of multiple addenda, as well as approval of the Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment.
Even more noteworthy is the role Mr. Ballou played in the development and approval of Amendment 3 to the Atlantic Menhaden Fishery Management Plan. As Board Chair, Mr. Ballou worked tirelessly with Commission staff, Board members, and technical groups. There are few management actions higher in profile or more complex, and Mr. Ballou’s commitment to the integrity of the Commission’s process and the sustainable management of this important forage species deserves commendation of the highest order.
Science & Technical Contributions
Geoffrey White, Coleby Wilt, Alex DiJohnson and Sarah Rains, Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) Team
Due to the herculean efforts of the APAIS Team of Mr. Geoff White, Mr. Coleby Wilt, Mr. Alex DiJohnson and Ms. Sarah Rains over the past two years, the collection of recreational survey data successfully transitioned from a federal contractor to the state fishery agencies from Maine through Georgia. As part of the transition, the APAIS Team worked to shift the collection program from an outdated, paper-based system that included tens of thousands of paper interview forms to an automated system, whereby data is now collected via a tablet-based Dockside Interceptor. The Dockside Interceptor has reduced data transfer from 21 days to 1 day, completely eliminating all the paper steps.
The APAIS Team also assisted in the development and deployment of a Computer Assisted Telephone Interview tool to conduct the for-hire telephone survey, replacing a manual transcription process in the three states conducting the survey. The system was first deployed in North Carolina in January 2019, with the state estimating a 33% increase in efficiency and a better than 80% response rate.
These two innovative systems, spearheaded by the APAIS Team, are completely changing the complexion of recreational data collection on the Atlantic coast, resulting in more accurate and timely data with a significantly reduced workload.
Michael Celestino, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
For the past several years, Mr. Michael Celestino has made his mark as an active participant and chair for numerous Commission science committees. These include the Assessment Science Committee (ASC), the Ecological Reference Points Work Group, and the Science and Data Working Group of the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership, as well as species technical committees and stock assessment subcommittees for bluefish, striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon.
Mr. Celestino’s leadership on the 2018 striped bass benchmark stock assessment is of particular note. Midway through the assessment process, Mr. Celestino stepped in as Stock Assessment Subcommittee Chair, skillfully guiding the Subcommittee through the challenges of dealing with newly revised recreational data and new
modeling approaches. He was responsible for updating the statistical catch-at-age model with new and improved data and conducting sensitivity analyses, all the while supporting the primary model being developed by another modeler. Ultimately, the model Mr. Celestino spearheaded was accepted as the preferred model by the peer review panel, adding lead modeler to his already long list of accomplishments. With the assessment process completed, Mr. Celestino continues to contribute to the striped bass stock assessment by running projections and responding to Board tasks.
In all that he does, Mr. Celestino exhibits an outstanding work ethic, consistently producing high-quality and meticulous work in a timely fashion. Committed to the Commission’s mission and the process of cooperative management, Mr. Celestino analyzes problems carefully from all angles and provides a comprehensive viewpoint of the issues. While it is still early in his career, Mr. Celestino’s leadership and efforts of the past several years have made him a huge asset to the Commission’s committees and management process.
Dr. John Sweka, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Northeast Fishery Center
For more than a decade, Dr. John Sweka has been an invaluable member and chair of several Commission science committees, including the ASC and stock assessment subcommittees for American eel, Atlantic sturgeon, river herring and horseshoe crab. Mr. Sweka served as Chair of the River Herring Stock Assessment Committee, leading the charge in the first coastwide stock assessment of river herring; and he currently Chairs the Horseshoe Crab Stock Assessment Subcommittee and the ASC. For Atlantic sturgeon, Mr. Sweka has made substantial advances in field research, such as hydroacoustic and telemetry tagging studies, which were used in the 2017 sturgeon stock assessment.
Mr. Sweka also acts as a key liaison to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in order to advance the Commission’s scientific endeavors, most notably our understanding and management of horseshoe crab and American eel populations. In collaboration with Mr. Dave Smith at the USGS Leetown Science Center, Mr. Sweka was a key contributor in development of the Adaptive Resource Management framework to balance horseshoe crab harvest policies with the protection of endangered and threatened shorebird populations. He is also working with USGS and the Eel Technical Committee to incorporate habitat variables in a GIS mapping framework for future stock assessments.
Mr. Sweka has exhibited innovation and creativity by introducing new models for stock assessments. He has run ARIMA models for multiple species, which are currently used to evaluate abundance relative to reference points for American eel, river herring, and horseshoe crab. Mr. Sweka also developed a new age-structured operational model for horseshoe crabs as part of the stock assessment completed this spring. The peer review panel found the models to be notable improvements to the assessment process.
Finally, Mr. Sweka is recognized by fellow committee members, Commission staff, and USFWS as a respected and reliable scientific colleague. Federal fisheries agencies have a mandate to provide scientific support to the Commission and John has answered the bell. At a time when demands on our scientific community can be overwhelming, John consistently delivers analytical work on time and at a very high standard.
Law Enforcement Contributions
NOAA Special Agents Casey Oravetz and Sara Block, Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Banumathi Rangarajan, and US Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Lauren Steele, Shane Waller, Shennie Patel, and Joel La Bissonniere
Due to the diligence and tenacity of the team of NOAA Special Agents Casey Oravetz and Sara Block, Assistant
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Banumathi Rangarajan, and U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Lauren Steele, Shane Waller, Shennie Patel, and Joel La Bissonniere, 13 North Carolina trawl captains were indicted for the
illegal harvest and possession of hundreds of thousands of pounds of striped bass from the EEZ in 2009 and 2010. The investigation began from a tip to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and a subsequent U.S. Coast Guard at-sea boarding of the F/V LADY SAMAIRA. The captain provided false information to officers regarding where fishing had occurred, and NOAA conducted a dockside investigation wherein the vessel’s navigation computer was seized. Forensic analysis determined the captain caught striped bass illegally from the EEZ on that date and on previous trips, and had deleted evidence on the computer to attempt to conceal this activity. NOAA OLE agents recovered the data and reconstructed the trips using GIS tools. A broader analysis was then performed on other vessels landing striped bass on the same fishing days. Over a period of two years, NOAA OLE conducted over 30 search warrants in four states on vessels and businesses in order to gather evidence. Legal challenges made by the defense counsel resulted in the District Court erroneously dismissing the indictments.
The U.S. Department of Justice appealed the case to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, who ultimately reversed the decision and reinstated the indictments.
Twelve defendants ultimately pled guilty to violating the Lacey Act. Some additionally pled to false statements, obstruction of justice, tax evasion, and failure to file tax returns. One of the defendants passed away during the investigation. For the 12 defendants, the U.S. District Court Judge imposed sentences totaling over 38 years of probation, 2.5 years of home confinement, 850 hours of community service, $3,000 in fines, and over $1.2 million in restitution.
This team’s tenacity, hard work, and commitment to the mission showcase the outstanding work performed as a team to protect and conserve the Atlantic striped bass fishery.