The Gulf Council is proud to announce the presentation of the 2025 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award to Officer Specialists Kyle Yurewitch and Mathew Rubenstein of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This outstanding team operates the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Gulf Ranger, based out of Marco Island, Florida.
The Council's Team/Officer of the Year award acknowledges service above and beyond duty requirements and recognizes distinguished service, professionalism, and dedication to enforcing federal fishing regulations in the Gulf of America. Nominees may be submitted from each of the five Gulf State Law Enforcement agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard, and NOAA Fisheries' Office for Law Enforcement.
Officers Yurewitch and Rubenstein specialize in federal and state fishery patrols. Their normal patrol is anywhere from near coastal waters out to over 130 miles offshore conducting turtle excluder device (TED) boardings, long-line pelagic fishing vessel inspections, and patrolling Pulley Ridge and Dry Tortugas. In 2025, they spent 272 hours on federal fisheries enforcement performing 40 boardings on shrimp vessels to check Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and making 14 fisheries cases resulting in 66 federal citations. Additionally, they participated in numerous outreach events including kids fishing clinics.
"This team's outstanding service reflects the very best of conservation law enforcement and makes them highly deserving of this recognition." Said Lieutenant Edwin Harp with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, "They are trusted by their peers, respected by the public, and committed to ensuring our fisheries remain sustainable for future generations."
About The Gulf Council: The Gulf Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of America.