St. Simons Island, GA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission presented G. Ritchie White, long-time ASMFC Commissioner from New Hampshire and fisheries advocate, the Captain David H. Hart Award, its highest annual award, at the Commission’s 72st Annual Meeting in St. Simons Island, GA.
Mr. White contributed firsthand to the recovery of striped bass and the steady increase of recreational and commercial fishing opportunities as a member of the ASMFC Striped Bass Advisory Panel in the 1990s. In 2000, Mr. White was selected by Governor Jeanne Shaheen to officially join the Commission as his state’s Governor’s Appointee. During his fourteen years as an ASMFC Commissioner, he has actively participated in the Commission’s fisheries management process, serving on a number of species management boards, sections and committees, and took on his first leadership role as Chair of the Northern Shrimp Section in 2006 and as past chair of the Governors Appointees. Mr. White now serves as the Chair of the Winter Flounder Board, and remains an influential member in numerous other areas of the Commission.
What makes Mr. White exceptional is his role as a dedicated and staunch advocate for science-based management. He consistently strives to put the resource first while balancing the needs of commercial and recreational anglers and coastal communities. His steadfast commitment can further be illustrated with his many contributions to fisheries and wildlife management that extend far beyond his work with the Commission. Mr. White serves on the Board of Directors of Ducks Unlimited and the American Bluefin Tuna Association, and was a founding member of the Coastal Conservation Association of New Hampshire, where he has been an active member of the Board of Directors since its inception. Recently, Mr. White has taken on the job of Coordinator for New Hampshire’s Revolving Loan Fund, providing low interest loans for the New Hampshire fishing industry. He was also a founding member of Rescue Great Bay where he promoted the importance of clean water for estuarine habitats and its value to coastal communities that rely on healthy marine resources for economic success.
As Commissioner, Mr. White has fostered an open approach to fisheries management and ownership of the Commission actions, holding the Commission to the highest standards of transparency and accountability in all that it does. His actions and demeanor truly embody the spirit and character of the Captain David H. Hart Award. The Commission instituted the Award in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts to improve Atlantic coast marine fisheries. The award is named for one of the Commission’s longest serving members, who dedicated himself to the advancement and protection of marine fishery resources.