NOAA Fisheries and the Five Gulf Coast States Align Red Snapper Fishing Seasons
Officials with the U.S. Department of Commerce announced in June that an agreement was made between NOAA Fisheries and the five Gulf Coast states (Florida,
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Quick answers to common questions
Officials with the U.S. Department of Commerce announced in June that an agreement was made between NOAA Fisheries and the five Gulf Coast states (Florida,
The collaborative approach to natural resource management
has developed to include the needs, opinions, and perceptions of
a variety of people representing science, along with those representing
social or economic perspectives and often involving our
political system.
The mindset permeating salmonid management in Washington, and probably most other fisheries managed worldwide, can be encapsulated in the last draft of a steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss management plan that was developed by the state of Washington and treaty Indian tribes 26 years ago (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife [WDFW], unpublished data)
Water bodies are used globally for multiple purposes, including water supplies, energy development, transportation, and recreation. Regulatory systems exist to evaluate those uses and their potential or resulting environmental impacts, including alteration of aquatic ecosystems. Often, these evaluations involve American Fisheries Society (AFS) members, who are vexed when the resulting regulatory or policy decisions ignore the best scientific information provided and instead rely on political influences.
There are also instances where fisheries experts may feel compelled to make decisions that ignore the best scientific information out of fear of retribution within their workplace or from other political entities when assessing proposed actions that may alter aquatic ecosystems. Determining when and how to contest a decision
counter to the best available science can be difficult. The AFS and its Units can assist their members by providing effective procedures (e.g., resolutions, comment letters) that address those environmental concerns, thereby both protecting individuals and providing the best and most scientifically accurate information for decision makers.
Dudley W. Reiser, R2 Resource Consultants Inc., 15250 NE 95th Street, Redmond, WA 98052. E-mail: [email protected] Remember the “which one doesn’t belong” puzzle? Try that
Effective advocacy is rarely the stuff of bumper stickers and bullhorns. People are more willing to consider new perspectives when they’re not force-fed; persuasion is most enduring when people are empowered to make their own conclusions. Fisheries advocates who face the task of building consensus around controversial issues should consider tools that help create community discussion where shared values can emerge. Youth education, art, and cuisine are examples of tools that can help us play the “long game” in advocacy. One group in Alaska recently experimented with a another tool, the “Book Drop,” where many copies of a thought-provoking book were freely distributed in hopes of sparking discussion about one of Alaska’s most unifying and divisive topics: salmon.
According to Wikipedia (2017), “advocacy is an activity by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization undertakes including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research or conducting exit poll or the filing of an amicus brief.” This definition is similar to that found in other, more traditional media. I like it because it captures a
more modern, popular view of the activity without being overly constraining. So, does AFS indulge in advocacy? Some would say no we do not; others, yes but not enough; and still others, yes way too much. Which is correct?
If you want to raise hackles at a fisheries conference, organize a discussion about advocacy. Expect two camps to immediately stake out terrain and start lobbying conflicting points of view:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have begun the process of rescinding the 2015 Clean Water Rule. The repeal
We discuss the need for the American Fisheries Society (AFS) to be involved in advocacy efforts. In doing so, we summarize our history, offer examples of past endeavors, capture the challenges of representing the views of a complex membership, and explain the opportunities awaiting AFS and its members. Our conclusion is that the Society must become more active in advocacy efforts as it seeks to make best use of its members’ knowledge and experience, their ability to inform others about fisheries science and management, and our collective ability to influence outcomes relevant to fish and fisheries.