Former Va. Marine Resources Leader Honored for Fisheries Contributions

The fisheries managers for the entire East Coast honored Virginia’s recently-retired marine resources leader for his important role managing sensitive species like menhaden.

Steven G. Bowman, former Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) commissioner, was presetened with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) highest honor, the Captain David H. Hart Award, at their annual meeting last weekend in Arlington, Va.

ASMFC instituted the Hart Award in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts to improve Atlantic coast marine fisheries. The Hart Award is named for Captain David H. Hart from the state of New Jersey, one of the commission’s longest servingmembers who dedicated himself to the advancement and protection of marine fishery resources.

Bowman began his marine fisheries career at VMRC in 1992 as Deputy Chief of the Law Enforcement Division, was promoted to Chief of Law Enforcement in 1996, and in 2006 was…