APACHE TROUT RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION TEAM RECEIVES CARL R. SULLIVAN FISHERY CONSERVATION AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY
Accepting the award on behalf of the entire team (L-R): Jess Newton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Julie Carter, Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD); Zach Beard, AZGFD; Dan Dauwalter, Trout Unlimited; Kristy Manuell, USFWS; Matt Rustin, White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT); Cecil Jennings, AFS President; and Tim Gatewood, WMAT.
(Honolulu) September 16, 2024 – The Apache Trout Recovery Implementation Team received the Carl R. Sullivan Fishery Conservation Award (“the Sully”) at the American Fisheries Society (AFS) 154th Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i. AFS President Cecil Jennings and Second Vice President Margaret Murphy presented the award to the team at the opening plenary session of the conference. The Sully is presented to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the conservation of fishery resources that may be political, legal, educational, scientific, or managerial in scope. The award is named for Carl Sullivan, society executive director from 1975-1991.
The Apache Trout Recovery Implementation Team, consisting of members from the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Trout Unlimited, significantly advanced the recovery of Apache Trout. Formed after revising the 2009 recovery plan, the team executed conservation actions to protect and conserve Apache Trout, including habitat restoration, stockings, population monitoring, removing non-native fish, and fish barrier construction and management.
Their collaborative work led to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to delist the Apache Trout on September 6, 2024, a first for a sportfish and native trout species due to recovery.
Key achievements include the 2021 Apache Trout Cooperative Management Plan, a landmark agreement ensuring ongoing recovery efforts post-delisting. The work of the Tribe has been pivotal, managing 76% of the habitat and leading numerous recovery projects, including protecting against overharvest and invasive species. Arizona Game and Fish has constructed barriers, restored and monitored populations, and cultured the species in captivity. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest excelled in environmental compliance and habitat restoration, integrating recovery values into land management plans. Trout Unlimited mobilized community support and led crucial research, including the 2017 Monitoring Plan and the 2022 Species Status Assessment. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has restored and monitored populations on Tribal lands and its hatchery created a unique captive broodstock for sportfishing on public and Tribal lands.
“This team’s success exemplifies the power of collaboration among agencies, the Tribe, and Trout Unlimited, each having specific missions and statutory responsibilities, but all believing in the possibility of the recovery of Apache Trout,” said Second Vice President Murphy.
Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.
