From left to right: Lt. Col. Clay Marques, Col. Stephen Clark, Senior Agent Dustin Barton, LCBA Executive Director Richard Fischer, Secretary Tyler Bosworth and Major Richie McCarthy
At the July meeting for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, the Louisiana Charter Boat Association (LCBA) awarded Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agent, Senior Agent Dustin Barton, the fourth annual Theophile Bourgeois Memorial Award for best exemplifying the LDWF mission, specifically pertaining to promoting professionalism within the Louisiana charter for hire industry.
Senior Agent Barton, of Winnfield, primarily patrols the waterways in the central area of Louisiana and has served as an LDWF agent for over three years. In 2024, Senior Agent Barton led an investigation into a local charter boat guide that resulted in four counts of failing to comply with charter boat regulations for not being properly insured or licensed for being a charter boat guide.
According to the LCBA, Senior Agent Barton demonstrates above-and-beyond performance and professionalism in the field, while also demonstrating outstanding conservation of our natural resources and promotion of Louisiana fisheries.
As part of the award, the Louisiana Charter Boat Association provided Senior Agent Barton with a $1,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choice, in which he selected the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. This charity directs funds to organizations providing rescue, relief, recovery efforts and flood assistance to those impacted by the devastating flash flood this past Fourth of July weekend.
The award is named after Theophile Bourgeois who was a charter captain and owner of Bourgeois Charters. His life ended in 2019 during a seaplane crash in which he was credited with saving the lives of two passengers.