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Florida Fish Busters Bulletin

January 2010

Florida FWC is looking to the future

Bob Wattendorf

As you change calendars and begin

looking forward to 2010, the Florida Fish

and Wildlife Conservation Commission

(FWC) is undergoing its own transition in

its top level administration. Ken Haddad

has retired after a proud career with the

agency. Haddad took over the helm as

executive director of the FWC, in May 2002. Prior to that appointment, he was director of

the FWCs Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) for nine years. He also served as

interim director of the FWCs Division of Marine Fisheries, as a scientist and research

administrator with the former Florida Department of Natural Resources and Department

of Environmental Protection and as a consultant in the private sector.

Director Ken Haddad, Chairman Rodney Barreto and

Senator Paul Dockery place a largemouth bass broodfish

in a spawning raceway at the inauguration of the Florida

Bass Conservation Center (February 2007).

When he became executive director, the agency was in a state of flux as a result

of a constitutional amendment, supported overwhelmingly by Florida voters, which

combined the old Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Marine Fisheries

Commission, and parts of the Department of Environmental Protection into the new

FWC. He immediately reached out to the staff to explain his vision for the agency, which

was to see FWC no less than the premier fish and wildlife agency in the country--a

progressive and cutting edge resource management, science, and enforcement agency. I


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want FWC to be visionary to the future and to be proactive rather than reactive to

resource issues. I want to see a focused, well-managed, and well-funded agency that is a

model of efficiency and business for other agencies in the state and nation.

His diligence and vision helped

guide the FWC well along this course,

although as with virtually all conservation

agencies in the country and state, the fiscal

challenges in recent years have been all

but insurmountable. Nevertheless the

FWC surged forward under Haddads

leadership and is widely recognized as one of the most progressive agencies in the

country. His focus on customer service, continual improvement and staff empowerment

were hallmarks of his tenure. He also emphasized stakeholder input and involvement, and

helped launch Get Outdoors Florida! (www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org). Similarly, he was

instrumental in bringing about a summit entitled Floridas Wildlife: On the front line of

climate change, which put the FWC in the forefront among conservation agencies by

developing a comprehensive plan of action for Florida to address climate change issues

as it relates to the state's fish and wildlife.

Ken Haddad and Ted Turner discuss the outstandingopportunities for getting kids outdoors at the Beau Turner

Youth Conservation Center (February 2009).

As he moves on, he has left the agency in great hands. Nick Wiley, the former

assistant executive director, was appointed by the FWC commissioners as the third

Executive Director of the agency, pending Florida Senate confirmation. Wiley began his

career in 1988 with the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and worked his way up

through director of the Division of Hunting and Game Management, including stops in
http://www.getoutdoorsflorida.org/http://www.getoutdoorsflorida.org/


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the alligator and small game management section, prior to taking the assistant executive

directors role in 2008.

Wiley is passionately dedicated to

conservation of fish and wildlife resources

and an energetic advocate for getting

youth outdoors and preserving our

American heritage as anglers and hunters

who live with and understand nature. As a

researcher and field biologist, his work

was primarily with terrestrial wildlife, but his personal interests include angling. The

fishing community will be well-served by his enthusiastic leadership.

New FWC Executive Director Nick Wiley walks the walk.

In this photo he is shown with a very nice buck.

The new executive director also clearly understands the importance of the human-

dimensions aspects of wildlife management. He has promoted hunting summits to bring

in various stakeholders to discuss the

future of hunting and incorporated solid

research and marketing approaches to

meet hunters needs. These same issues

have been of concern in the fishing arena.

In keeping with the theme of

stakeholder input, similar efforts have

been ongoing and involve individual freshwater anglers and diverse Florida businesses

that derive their livelihood from ensuring that top-quality, safe and sustainable fishing

opportunities are available throughout Florida. A series of regional summits led to

Wiley helps some young boys at the Beau Turner Youth

Conservation Center refine their casting techniques (April

2009).


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development of an initial planning document in 2008 entitled The Future of Freshwater

Fishing--A Vision for Floridas Freshwater Resources. From there an independent

Florida Freshwater Fishing Coalition spun off, which is becoming a more vocal advocate

for the conservation needs of our freshwater resources and helping ensure stakeholder

input into how your resources are managed.

So as we change those calendars and start the New Year, the Division of

Freshwater Fisheries Management feels we are well-positioned to continue to ensure that

Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World, thanks to great resources and responsible

management. We thank Ken Haddad for his past leadership and look forward to

embracing the enthusiasm Nick Wiley has for our fish and wildlife, engaging youth in

active nature-based recreation and ensuring that your voice as an angler is heard.

With that in mind, dont forget the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management

is looking for your ideas pertaining to a Long-Term Management Plan for Black Bass. To

learn more, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and view the Black Bass Management

information in the yellow box. Youll have the opportunity to complete a survey to

provide the FWC with more information about what you think is important to having

quality bass fishing in Florida.

Happy New Year, good luck and good fishing.

Instant licenses are available atMyFWC.com/License or by calling 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356).

Report violators by calling *FWC or #FWC on your cell phone, or 888-404-3922. Visit

http://www.myfwc.com/Fishing/for more Fish Busters columns.

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