- Division of Marine Fisheries
It is with profound sadness that we must announce the passing of John Michael Hickey on May 24, 2023. “Mike” was the long-time Shellfish Program Manager for the Division retiring in 2020 after a nearly 52‑year career.
Mike began his career 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. At that time, he was promoted to Chief Biologist and led the combined projects known as the Shellfish Sanitation and Management Program until retirement.
He is considered a founder of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC), attending the ISSC conference on twenty-six (26) occasions, his last in 2019. Mike 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. Always active in ISSC he was a member and participated on countless workgroups, committees, sub‑committees, and the various Task Forces often as the chair, his advice and counsel was always in demand. At ISSC and in state, he worked on shellfish issues concerning marine biotoxins, Harmful Algal Bloom’s, depuration, aquaculture, water quality, harvest techniques, shellfish disease, seafood safety, and local and state management policy.
Mike authored and co‑authored numerous papers and reports on Massachusetts shellfish and was regarded by many as the foremost shellfish expert in the Commonwealth during his career. He was an active member of the Northeast Shellfish Sanitation Association (NESSA) for 40 years, elected President twice, and was an advisor to the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association (MSOA) for over 40 years.
Mike was known to his colleagues, co-workers, and throughout the industry for his straight talk, incisive mind, and ready laugh being always willing to work hard and lend a hand. He will be dearly missed.
