- Division of Marine Fisheries
On November 17, 2023, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission and DMF awarded the David L. Belding award posthumously to Mike Hickey who led DMF’s shellfish program for over four decades and retired in 2020 after 51 years of service. The award dates back to 1989 and was created with the assistance of Belding’s descendants to honor individuals who have done the most to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the Commonwealth’s marine resources.
Dr. David L. Belding, was an icon. He was both a medical doctor as well as a marine biologist for the Commonwealth for the first half of the 20th century, conducting two distinguished careers simultaneously. Dr. Belding was extremely prolific, authoring dozens of papers on marine biology over half a century including detailed descriptions of the shellfish and anadromous fish resources throughout Massachusetts. Though these reports are a century old, they are still extremely informative. His wide array of research in marine biology, and particularly local shellfish populations, is continually referenced having become a cornerstone of the DMF.
Mike Hickey was a modern day likeness of Dr. Belding with an impressive career. He began with DMF in June 1968 as an Assistant Marine Fisheries Biologist, promoted to Marine Fisheries Biologist in 1972 as the new Shellfish Technical Assistance Project Leader. Mike’s directive was to provide science-based shellfish management and shellfish propagation assistance to coastal municipalities. It was at this time he was first tasked with promoting private shellfish aquaculture under newly passed state legislation, and by 1980 was promoted to Senior Marine Fisheries Biologist. Then in 1988, Mike assumed leadership of newly acquired shellfish growing area classification responsibilities from the Massachusetts DEQE, now the Department of Environmental Protection. Mike is considered a founder of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC), attending the ISSC conference on 26 occasions, his last in 2019. He was first elected and served as the Region 1 regulatory representative to the ISSC Executive Board in 1983, serving uninterrupted until 2020 making him the longest-serving board member. During his tenure on the Executive Board, he was elected Chair twice, from 1997 to 2001 and then again from 2008 to 2013, also making him the longest-serving board chair.
Mike would often reference Dr. Belding’s work and championed those studies in Massachusetts shellfisheries to up-and-coming employees and town shellfish constables. Mike’s frequent references to these works has helped continue Belding’s hold as an authority on our state shellfish industries.
Accepting the award at the ceremony was Mike’s family including his wife, Suzanne, and his son Eric who currently oversees the MA Department of Public Health Food Protection Program. The event was attended by over sixty guests including Commissioner Tom O’Shea, DMF staff, Commission members, and leadership from the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association, an organization that Mike supported and provided substantial guidance. The event provided Mike’s friends and colleagues an opportunity to honor his life’s work and create a permanent memory of his contributions.
By Dan McKiernan, Director
