Captain Dewey Hemilright Honored with Mid-Atlantic Council’s Ricks E Savage Award

Dewey Hemilright (left) with Council Chair Wes Townsend

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has named Captain Dewey Hemilright, commercial fisherman and former Council member, as the recipient of the Ricks E Savage award. The award, which was presented during the Council’s December meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, is given annually to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the management and conservation of fishery resources in the mid-Atlantic region.

Based out of Wanchese, North Carolina, Captain Hemilright is the owner/operator of the F/V Tarbaby. He was first appointed to the Council in 2012 to fill a mid-term vacancy and was reappointed for three additional full terms, serving for a total of 11 years. During this time, his on-the-water expertise and deep knowledge of the East coast fisheries enriched Council discussions and provided crucial perspective on how management decisions impact fishing communities.

“Dewey asked insightful questions and consistently shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with the Council and stakeholders,” said Council Chair Wes Townsend. “While he often served as a voice for the U.S. fishing industry, he did an outstanding job of balancing the interests of commercial fisheries and the sustainable management of the resources as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.”

Captain Hemilright chaired the Council’s Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Committee for seven years and served on most of the Council’s other committees at different times. He also represented the Council in other key roles, most notably as liaison to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and representative on NOAA Fisheries’ HMS Advisory Panel.

The Council extends its gratitude to Captain Hemilright for his years of service and congratulates him on this well-deserved honor.

PDF Version

Dr. Mark Terceiro Receives Mid-Atlantic Council’s Ricks E Savage Award

Ricks E Savage Award Recipient Dr. Mark Terceiro

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has named Dr. Mark Terceiro, long-time fisheries scientist with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), as the recipient of the Council’s Ricks E Savage award. The award was established in 2006 and is given each year to an individual who has added value to the Council process and management goals through significant scientific, legislative, enforcement, or management activities.

The Council selected Dr. Terceiro for the award in recognition of his significant scientific contributions in his role as lead assessment biologist for several Council-managed species. The award was presented to Dr. Terceiro during the August 2023 Council Meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland.

Dr. Terceiro joined the NEFSC’s Population Dynamics Branch in 1986 after receiving his B.S. degree in zoology and Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. For nearly his entire career, he has served as the lead assessment biologist for summer flounder, a species that supports economically and socially important commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the region. He also served as the lead assessment biologist for bluefish early in his career and as the lead assessment biologist for scup since the early 2000s.

“Mark has patiently, consistently, and effectively explained complex assessment results to Council members and the public,” said Mike Luisi, former Council Chair. “He has worked tirelessly to improve the science that supports the management process, and the Council has benefitted from his long tenure with the Science Center.”

Dr. Terceiro has been a member of the Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee for much of his career. He captured his vast institutional knowledge of the history of science, management, and politics of this fishery in “The Summer Flounder Chronicles,” a three-part series published in the journal Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.

NEFSC leadership also expressed appreciation for Dr. Terceiro’s scientific contributions. “Mark has been steadfast in his stock assessment duties, and his knowledge of Mid-Atlantic stock assessments is without equal,” said Jon Hare, NEFSC Science and Research Director. “This award is well-deserved.”

Mid-Atlantic Council Presents Award of Excellence to Dr. Lee Anderson

Award of Excellence recipient Dr. Lee Anderson

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has named Dr. Lee Anderson as the recipient of the Council’s prestigious Award of Excellence. The award was presented to Dr. Anderson during the August 2023 Council Meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Award of Excellence was established in 2016 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to fisheries management, legislation, science, or law enforcement in the Mid-Atlantic region. The award is made on a periodic basis, subject to the identification and selection of outstanding individuals, and has only been given one other time.

Dr. Anderson has been a valued participant in the Mid-Atlantic Council process for almost the entirety of the Council’s 47-year history. He was one of three economists appointed to the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee when it was first formed in 1976. He was later appointed to the Council, holding Delaware’s obligatory seat from 1986 to 1995 and 2007 to 2016. He served for three years as Council Chair (1992-1995) and a total of ten years as Vice-Chair (1990-1992, 2008-2016). After his departure from the Council in 2016, Dr. Anderson was reappointed to the SSC and served until early 2023.

“Lee’s impact on fisheries management, economics, and policy has not only shaped the present but also paved the way for a more sustainable future,” said Chris Moore, Executive Director of the Council. “Throughout his years on the Council and SSC, he brought a wealth of knowledge that helped the Council understand and account for the economic forces that shape fisheries management decisions.”

Dr. Anderson’s expertise and leadership were particularly instrumental in the Council’s development of an individual transferable quota program system for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries, which was the first catch share program in the United States.

In addition to his contributions to the Council, Dr. Anderson has had a profound impact on the field of fisheries economics. After receiving his bachelor's degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1966, he earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Washington in 1970. In 1974 he joined the University of Delaware, where he would serve as Director of the Marine Policy Program in the College of Marine Studies from 1986 to 2004. His book The Economics of Fisheries Management has served as an important learning tool for fisheries economists nationally and internationally. He has written or edited six books and over sixty scientific papers and is recognized as a respected mentor and collaborator.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council proudly congratulates Dr. Anderson on this well-deserved recognition.