Sponsors: AFS Socioeconomics Section and Missouri Chapter
The AFS Socioeconomic Section and Missouri Chapter partner at the Annual Meeting each year to award the Stephen Weithman Best Student Paper in Socioeconomics Award. This award was established in honor of Steve Weithman, who passed away in 2000 at the age of 47 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Steve was an AFS member since 1974 and was employed by the Missouri Department of Conservation since 1978. He conducted research on a variety of topics, but was best known for his economic evaluation of fisheries and statewide surveys of anglers. Recognized as an expert in his field, he authored the chapter on socioeconomic benefits of fisheries in Inland Fisheries Management in North America (second edition, 1999). The Weithman Award honors his life by highlighting the importance of socioeconomics work in fisheries. Since the Annual Meeting was being held in Missouri, this was an ideal meeting to host this symposium to honor his life through presentations about his life and work and by reviewing some of the work of past award winners and the impact of their work on the field. Read the abstracts here.
—Tom Lang, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department