The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) presented the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Electrofishing Equipment and Safety Committee with a special recognition award at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. The ten-member team has updated and standardized electrofishing guidelines, which multiple states are adopting.
“This manual provides safety guidelines, technological updates, and equipment improvements,” SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor said. “The result is a set of guidelines that effectively builds on past recommendations.”
Members of the multidiscipline committee were Dave Woods, Zach Ford, Jake Allman, Brian McKeage, Rich Meade, Phil Pitts, Kevin Sullivan, Andy Turner, Kyle Winders, and Glenda Branson.
“I’m very proud of the work these dedicated staff members have done,” said MDC Director Sara Pauley. “Their guidelines have already been embraced by several other states, and they provide an important contribution to safety and research protocols for fisheries management.”
The Association’s special recognition awards are bestowed upon individuals who, in the state agency directors’ opinions, have served the association and made outstanding contributions toward wildlife and fisheries conservation, outdoor recreational engagement, and the natural resources professional community.
The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) is an organization whose members are the state agencies with primary responsibility for management and protection of the fish and wildlife resources in 15 states, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia