By the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association
We all know the issues surrounding menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and the recent actions by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to change the way they manage this fishery. This would not have happened without the hard work and dedication of one man, Charlie Hutchinson.
We are saddened to report that Charlie Hutchinson passed away March 1 from complications stemming from an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer.
Charlie worked tirelessly to change the way we look at menhaden and its impacts on the greater ecology of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast waterways. He could be titled the Godfather of the battle to protect this valuable fish. He not only brought light to the issue but spent much of his time recruiting the support needed to make a change.
Charlie was the author of the highly publicized “Menhaden Muddle Series,” a collection of his writings designed to gain attention and put an end to the devastation of Atlantic menhaden by the reduction fishery. Charlie published many of these articles, and several more, in local and state papers. Charlie was the MSSA’s lead on the menhaden issue. Click here to read his writings.
Charlie was a member of the Dorchester County chapter of the MSSA and last month was awarded the first ever MSSA Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and effort in protecting the menhaden fishery. This award has since been approved by a unanimous vote of the MSSA Board of Directors to forever be known as the “Charlie Hutchinson Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Charlie left his mark on all of us and we will miss him.
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