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Feature Articles
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Ruhle receives NOAA award for survey work
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This article is reprinted with permission of Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast's fishing newspaper for over 30 years, ©2003 Compass Publications Inc. Commercial Fisheries News is published monthly; annual subscriptions are $21.95. To subscribe or request a sample issue: call (877) 263-4496; fax (207) 367-2490; e-mail (cfoster@fish-news.com); or click on the hot link.
by Janice M. Plante
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John Boreman, left, and commercial fisherman Phil Ruhle, recipient of a 2003 Environmental Hero Award. (Marla Trollan/Mid-Atlantic Council photo)
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NEW YORK, NY - One of the most "outspoken critics" of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's trawl survey work has received a 2003 Environmental Hero Award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the parent agency of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Within industry, the news came as a surprise, especially to the award recipient, Phil Ruhle of North Kingston, RI, who, along with his son, Phil Jr., co-owns the 80' Sea Breeze.
"NOAA just gave an environmental award to a commercial fisherman," the senior Ruhle said in early May. "Maybe that's saying something."
In October 2002, the Sea Breeze towed side-by-side with the Albatross IV, the center's research vessel that was discovered in September to have been conducting trawl surveys with mismatched warps for roughly two years. The October work involved a "trawl calibration experiment" to test how offset gear fished in comparison to properly configured survey gear.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which manages several stocks that rely directly on survey results, first approached NMFS with the suggestion that Ruhle be nominated for the award. A NOAA employee must make the nomination.
"My reaction was: 'What a great idea!'" said John Boreman, the science center's acting director. "Why shouldn't a commercial fisherman receive an environmental hero award?"
Boreman made those comments before the Mid-Atlantic council during its May 6-8 meeting in New York City, where he officially presented Ruhle with the award. NOAA had announced the 2003 award recipients on April 22 in conjunction with Earth Day.
According to Boreman, the intent of the Environmental Hero Award is to recognize people "who have made significant contributions in time and effort to help NOAA achieve its mission."
Part of that mission, he said, "is to build sustainable fisheries."
Industry efforts
The Albatross gear problem was hard on everyone - fishermen, scientists, managers, and all others who depend on survey data for stock assessments.
But the science center and government went to great lengths to quickly address the problem, assess its impacts, deal with the industry's anger, and put the survey on a better path for the future.
Commercial fishermen have contributed - and continue to contribute - to this intense process. Among the first were Matt Stommel, the Woods Hole fisherman who initially witnessed and reported the warp mismatch, Sam Novello, Bud Fernandes, Stephen Lee, Jim Odlin, and Jim Lovgren, who all went out to sea aboard the Albatross on a gear observation cruise three weeks after the problem was acknowledged.
They and others also participated in workshops and subsequent meetings, which all provided the center with industry expertise and advice.
Ruhle was involved in most of those meetings and then took part in the Sea Breeze/Albatross calibration experiment, monitoring events from the Albatross while Phil Jr. took charge of the Sea Breeze.
Boreman told the Mid-Atlantic council that after the Albatross warp problem was discovered, Ruhle became one of the center's "most outspoken critics."
"But by the same token, rather than sit on the sidelines and be a Monday morning quarterback, Phil agreed to roll up his sleeves and work with us," said Boreman. "Phil stepped up when we sorely needed someone from the industry to help us understand what was happening with our trawl."
Ruhle's extensive at-sea experience turned out to be extremely helpful to the center. Not counting trips he made on his dad's boat when he was extremely young, he has fished commercially for 34 years doing everything from longlining to Scottish seining to dragging aboard numerous vessels, including the Harry Glen, Audrey Lynn, Olympic Champion, Canyon Explorer, Andrea Gail, Darana R, which is his brother Jimmy's boat, Ranger, and Relentless.
Boreman said, "Phil has demonstrated that the government and commercial industry can work together to solve problems of mutual concern, and he opened the door for closer collaboration as we move into a new era of surveying fisheries stocks independent of commercial landings."
Right whale spotters
Though Ruhle was the only commercial fisherman among the recipients, NOAA gave Environmental Hero Awards to 35 individuals and one organization on Earth Day.
Eight of the awards were presented by NMFS, eight by NOAA's National Weather Service, five by NOAA's Ocean Service, and 14 by NOAA Research. The "organization" award was bestowed by the weather service.
Of the NMFS awards, five were presented posthumously, including four that went to researchers who died in a Jan. 26 plane crash while conducting aerial surveys of North Atlantic right whales. The researchers were from Wildlife Trust and Environmental Aviation Services in Florida and were working under a NOAA-contracted study.
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