GAOS 2018

John Arway




John Arway is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and an avid angler, boater and conservationist. A scientist by training, he has spent more than 36 years working for the Commission as a Fisheries Biologist and Director. Since taking the helm of the Commission in March 2010, Director Arway has worked tirelessly to raise public awareness of the plight of the Susquehanna River and to seek remedies for fixing it. Once considered one of the country’s top smallmouth bass fisheries, the mighty Susquehanna River has struggled since 2005 to produce viable young of year smallmouth classes. With support from various organizations, including the Susquehanna River School, PennFuture, the National Wildlife Federation, the PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, American Rivers and PA Trout Unlimited, Director Arway has repeatedly petitioned the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to place the river on the list of “impaired” waters and start the process of cleaning up the river. Throughout the country, fish and wildlife agencies face a similar challenge of retaining participants in their sport and attracting new ones. Director Arway has met this challenge by initiating a marketing program to highlight the sport to avid anglers and novices, to men and to women, to adults and to children, to families and friends. He currently chairs the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) Angling and Boating President’s Task Force, which is charged with developing a plan to get more people fishing and boating in the nation.

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