Taylor Pool* | American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD

Thomas E. Bigford | American Fisheries Society, 425 Barlow Place, Suite 110, Bethesda, MD 20814. E-mail: tbigfordfisheries.org

Owen Mulvey-McFerron | American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD

*Current address for Taylor Pool: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Falls Church, VA.

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.

Members click below for the July 2017 Fisheries magazine’s complete issue. Non-members, join here.

Tagged Under: #advocacy #history #AFS