News

Policy News

A Voice for the Fish—and Our Profession

Now, more than ever, our fisheries and aquatic resources and the people who manage them need the support of a strong scientific community. Together we’ve seen the benefits of our work in action—the Wallop-Breaux Sport Fish Restoration Act and Magnuson-Stevens Act transformed fisheries management. Today, as these programs face unprecedented threats, it’s crucial for AFS... Read More

Pursuing Opportunities as an AFS Liaison

By Thomas E. Bigford, Policy Director. One of my AFS roles is as your official liaison to three groups—the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, The Coastal Society, and the National Fish Habitat Partnership. Though interesting and valuable, those liaison roles have never been defined, as underscored in 2016 when then–AFS President Ron Essig requested liaison... Read More

AFS Letter in Support of the Waters of the United States Rule

Earlier this week, President Trump issued an executive order to overturn the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule approved by the Obama administration. In anticipation of this action, which was part of the President’s agenda, AFS has worked with its partners to prepare a letter to our leaders in support of the scientific basis of... Read More

NOAA and AFS: Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management

  AFS is entering the third year of its most recent cooperative agreement with NOAA Fisheries. AFS has been working with NOAA Fisheries since 2015 to disseminate news about the agency’s work on ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management. We organized three congressional briefings in 2015 and are working on one for the coming months. As... Read More

Invasive Species Executive Order

On December 5th, President Obama continued to build on his legacy to protect our aquatic resources by issuing an Executive Order. The recently issued Executive Order – Safeguarding the Nation from the Impacts of Invasive Species, takes aim at existing policy given the fact that invasive species costs the U.S. billions of dollars in negative... Read More

American Fisheries Society Publishes Action Items for New U.S. Administration on the Future of the Nation’s Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The American Fisheries Society (AFS) today released its publication, Future of the Nation’s Fisheries and Aquatic Resources: The Challenges We Face in 2017 and Beyond, offering short and long-term solutions for protecting American aquatic habitats and helping fisheries professionals facing ongoing challenges. With recommendations for the new Presidential Administration, the document offers viable ways to... Read More

NOAA announces revisions to federal fishery management guidelines

NOAA Fisheries announced final revisions to the guidelines that federal managers will use as they routinely update the nation’s marine fisheries plans. The revised federal fishery management guidelines, known as the National Standard 1 guidelines of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, are intended to provide more flexibility and be more effective in ending... Read More