Year: 2023
Type: other
Abstract: Robert A. "Bob" Jones of South Windsor, Connecticut passed away at age 92 on March 31, 2023.Bob was a ground-breaking fisheries biologist who had impact at the state, interstate, and international levels.He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1952 with a BS in fisheries biology and after serving in the U.S. Army, he began a 38-year career with the Connecticut Board of Fish and Game in 1954.Jones' early career involved hands-on work in nearly every aspect of fisheries.Bob rose through the ranks as the agency transitioned into the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP; now known as the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection).Jones' first management position was as director of the Agency's Marine Region, covering fisheries in Long Island Sound and its tributaries.He became director of the Fisheries Division in 1979 and his leadership proved a guiding light as it transformed into a modern agency by hiring young biologists with graduate degrees, expanding programs, incorporating computers, and establishing a professional culture.Later in his career, he guided the creation of a statewide Aquatic Education Program, statewide aquatic habitat program, and initiated statewide lake and stream surveys.Jones was among a cadre of groundbreaking leaders in the Northeast who were responsible for advancing fisheries communication and collaborative management among states and with the federal government during the 1970s and 1980s.Bob advanced interstate collaboration while serving in leadership positions with AFS and on interstate councils and commissions, and informally through the many personal relationships he established over the years.Connecticut became an active player in the fishery management council process established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and eventually, Bob became Connecticut's agency representative on the New England Fishery Management Council and served two terms as chairman.He also served many years as Connecticut's Administrative Commissioner on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, including a term as chairman.Bob was an early and strong supporter of restoring anadromous fishes, including Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar, to the Connecticut River and helped establish the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Commission (CRASC) with the passage of federal and state legislation.He served as the Connecticut DEP's Commissioner to the CRASC during his employment and, upon retirement, was appointed as Connecticut's Public Sector Commissioner by the governor.Also upon retirement, he received a Presidential appointment as a nonfederal Commissioner to the North Atlantic
Source: Fisheries
DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10971
Authors: Peter Aarrestad, Stephen Gephard, William Hyatt, Richard Jacobson, Eric Smith
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4385071249