John Arway and his science-based mission to "Let Nature Raise the Fish"

John Arway is a scientist by training. In 1984 he graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Aquatic Biology in 1984. He dedicated his entire career to carrying out the mission of the PA Fish and Boat Commission and for 20 years was chief of the Environmental Services Division after which he became the Executive Director of the Commission until 2018. As Executive Director, John steadfastly promoted a "Resource First" and "Protect, Conserve, and Enhance" fisheries conservation approach in leading the agency. Ross Purnell sat down with him on this episode of Loop to Loop to compare and contrast Montana with Pennsylvania, and explain how Dick Vincent and his discoveries about wild trout in Montana decades ago led that state to prioritize wild fish, while Pennsylvania even in 2026 continues to dump stocked trout in streams with well-documented populations of wild trout. Ross and John also discuss a brand-new conservation organization, of which John is a founding member: the Pennsylvania Wild Trout Coalition (https://pawtc.org). Their mission is to stop the state from stocking trout in class A wild trout streams, and their motto is "Let Nature Raise the Fish."