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Fisheries management pioneer recognized
for career achievements
February 7, 2007
CONTACT: Lee Schlesinger (850) 487-0554
A pioneer of modern marine fisheries management
was recognized Wednesday for 38 years of service dedicated to
conservation and protection of Florida’s valuable saltwater
fisheries resources. Roy O. Williams of Tallahassee received the
recognition from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) during its public meeting in Destin.
Williams played a major leadership role in
crafting successful long-term management strategies for king and
Spanish mackerel, striped mullet, shad and other important
forage fishes, groupers, snappers, amberjacks, stone crab, blue
crab, spiny lobster, spotted seatrout, red drum, snook,
weakfish, tropical aquarium species, hard clams, bluefish,
pompano, sharks and rays, billfish and numerous other marine
species.
"The scope and breadth of Williams’ achievements
in development of key marine fisheries management plans is truly
remarkable,” said Ken Haddad, FWC executive director. "He has
played a major role in helping Florida maintain its status as
the ‘Fishing Capital of the World.’”
Williams began his service as a fisheries
biologist with the former Florida Department of Natural
Resources (known then as the Board of Conservation) in 1968,
when he was assigned to a field laboratory in Sanford. In 1974,
he moved to the agency’s main laboratory in St. Petersburg and
served as project leader of the king mackerel tagging and stock
assessment program beginning in 1975.
In 1976, he was promoted to supervisor of the
vertebrate fish section where he managed about two dozen
biologists, technicians and assistants who investigated many
important finfish species.
From 1978 through 1985, Williams helped lead
several colloquiums, symposiums, conferences and stock
assessments in collaboration with numerous federal and state
agencies. These projects resulted in increasing scientific and
public knowledge on important fisheries, including red drum,
spotted seatrout, king mackerel and Spanish mackerel.
In 1986, the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission
unanimously selected Williams to serve as its assistant
executive director, a position he maintained through 1999.
During this period, he served as the commission’s designee to
the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery management
councils and supervised commission biological staff.
In 1999, the Marine Fisheries Commission merged
into the newly created Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, and Williams became the new Division of Marine
Fisheries assistant executive director. He also served as acting
director of the Division of Marine Fisheries in 2000 and 2003.
In 2004, Williams was named leader of the new
Marine Fisheries Management Section, and he retired from his
position on Jan. 31. He achieved many milestones over the years,
including chairing both the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery
management councils, serving as a member of numerous federal and
international fisheries management commissions and committees,
and authoring numerous fisheries reports and publications. |
