Longtime Maryland charter-fishing captain receives highest state honor
Chesapeake outdoor sportsman Captain Chris Dollar brings the latest wildlife news to the Bay Bulletin.
Governor Larry Hogan has tapped the state’s next Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay. He bestowed the ceremonial Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay recognition to Captain Edward O’Brien, a longtime Chesapeake charter-fishing industry advocate and leader. Governor Hogan lauded O’Brien for his “extraordinary commitment to the conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.” Hogan also recognized Captain O’Brien for his efforts “to keep the state’s deeply rooted fishing heritage sustainable,” according to a press release from the Maryland Sportsmen’s Foundation, the organization that nominated him for the lifetime achievement award.
Governor Hogan published this tribute to O’Brien on his Facebook page: “He has committed his time and talents to improving the management of our natural resources and preserving our state’s fishing heritage and the charter boat industry for over 40 years. Today, in recognition of his dedication to our state’s natural resources, I was pleased to present Captain O’Brien our highest honor: The Admiral of the Chesapeake Lifetime Award. Congratulations, Ed!”
O’Brien is founding Board Member of the Maryland Sportsmen’s Foundation, and he has been a president and officer of the Maryland Charter Boat Association as well as a board member of the National Association of Charter Boat Operators.
David Sutherland, chair of the Maryland Sportsmen’s Foundation, a coalition of Maryland hunters and anglers, said, “Captain O’Brien’s unwavering commitment and dedication to the Chesapeake Bay makes him the quintessential waterman and worthy of this prestigious honor.”
Governor J. Millard Tawes started the Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay tradition in 1959. The lifetime achievement award is the highest honor the governor can bestow on an individual for environmental contributions.
Virginia Tagging Program Offers Mobile App
Here’s one phrase you never hear these days: “I wish I had a camera!” It seems nearly everyone on the planet has a smartphone, especially anglers. They use these handheld computers to check weather and tides, log into fishing tournaments, brag on Instagram and connect with their buddy network to instantaneously find out where the fish are biting.
Now, anglers who catch a tagged fish can easily enter their tagged fish’s information—tag number, species, date, location, length, and even choose their recapture reward—using the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program’s mobile ready platforms. You can also use the app to check updates on popular gamefish such as black drum, cobia, red drum, spadefish, sheepshead, speckled trout, summer flounder and tautog. For more information about the fish tagging program visit vims.edu/vgftp/. To report a tagged fish use vasaltwaterjournal.com/report_tagged_fish.php.
