MARATHON, Florida – December 12 – The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) presented the third annual Gladding Memorial Award for commercial fishing conservation leadership to Mr. Carlton Young of Placencia, Belize and Mr. Ceylon Clayton of Little Bay, Jamaica, during its 59th Annual Meeting in November in Belize City, Belize.
The Gladding Memorial Award, established in 2004 by the GCFI Board of Directors, with major support from Environmental Defense and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, is named for the prominent Florida Keys commercial fisherman, Peter Gladding (1), whose vision and actions towards responsible fisheries management helped establish the landmark Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys.
Mr. Young is one of the wise elders of the fishing industry in Belize. As Chairman of the Placencia Fishermen Co-operative, and through his membership on the Fisheries Advisory Board of the Friends of Nature and the Glover’s Reef Advisory Committee, he has long advocated for the protection of grouper spawning sites and responsible long-term commercial fisheries management.
“Honoring exceptional conservation leaders within the industry encourages best practices for the benefit of the resources and the fishermen”, stated Dr. Ken Lindeman, Senior Scientist with Environmental Defense (2).
Mr. Clayton is an outstanding community leader, professional fisherman and founding father of the Negril Marine Park, having been a dedicated volunteer with the Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society since its inception in 1990. He has served on the Board of Directors since 1997 and is affiliated with the Negril Environmental Protection Trust and many other conservation organizations.
“These winners represent the best in responsible fishing in the Greater Caribbean and we are extremely pleased with the overwhelming interest in this initiative from all stakeholder groups in the region”, stated Bob Glazer, GCFI Executive Director.
Any commercial fisher in the Caribbean region, Florida, and Gulf of Mexico is eligible for the award which supports attendance at the annual GCFI meeting. Prior recipients have come from Florida, Barbados, Belize and Colombia.