| 25 June 2010
The Florida Guides Association (FGA) honored two Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff members - a research scientist and a law enforcement officer - for outstanding work in fish and wildlife conservation. The awards were presented Thursday at the Commission meeting in Lake Mary.
Kathy Guindon is a tarpon research scientist for the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) in St. Petersburg. Her research focuses primarily on what happens to tarpon once caught and released. Her research offers new insight into how tarpon can survive catch-and-release angling and how the game fish move throughout Florida waters. She has been with the FWC for 15 years.
Guindon received the FGA’s Phil Chapman Conservation Award, presented by FGA president Pat Kelly.
Officer William Holcomb works in the Tampa area and has been with the FWC for five years. Officer Holcomb’s efforts targeting illegal commercial netting has resulted in criminal charges and seizure of thousands of pounds of fish and thousands of square feet of illegal nets.
Officer Holcomb received the FGA’s “Trained Eyes Coastwatcher” Officer of the Year Award. Pat Kelly presented that award as well.
