american fisheries society newsletter

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

ANNUAL MEETING

We're Going to Baltimore!

We invite you to join us November 6-10, 2021, for a return to an in-person AFS Annual Meeting at the historic Inner Harbor of Baltimore. The rapid increase in Covid vaccinations and the resulting CDC, State of Maryland, and City of Baltimore guidance on gatherings and events now provide confirmation that AFS may safely host its Annual Meeting as a traditional in-person event after a long year of remote activity. We are all looking forward to gathering, sharing science, and building new partnerships in Baltimore, where the Chesapeake Bay and historic background of the American Revolution and War of 1812 provide a perfect setting.

The conference will include over 50 symposia, more than a dozen workshops, and a foursome of fantastic plenary sessions, as well as the delayed celebration of AFS's 150th anniversary. We are designing this meeting to be a hybrid event to allow those unable to travel to have access to all of the science content, live-streamed plenary sessions, and a variety of other ways to be engaged and involved. Abstract submission and hotel room blocks are now open and registration will open soon.

POLICY

Clean Water Act Section 401 Revisions

EPA intends to reconsider and revise the 2020 Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Certification Rule to restore the balance of state, tribal, and federal authorities while retaining elements that support efficient and effective implementation of Section 401. Congress provided authority to states and tribes under CWA Section 401 to protect the quality of their waters from adverse impacts resulting from federally licensed or permitted projects. Under Section 401, a federal agency may not issue a license or permit to conduct any activity that may result in any discharge into navigable waters unless the affected state or tribe certifies that the discharge is in compliance with the Clean Water Act and state law, or waives certification. EPA will initiate a series of stakeholder outreach sessions and invite written feedback on how to revise the requirements for water quality certifications under the Clean Water Act. Comments due on August 2.

Recovering America's Wildlife Act: Sponsor Drive

The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is the most impactful wildlife conservation funding bill in a generation. The next two months are crucial for recruiting more co-sponsors for this legislation. AFS Units can sign onto a group letter or use our letter template to quickly and easily ask your Congressperson to support this important bill. Individuals can email or call their member of Congress. For other ways you can take action, see our recorded joint webinar with The Wildlife Society.

SCIENCE

Increasing Occurrence of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna on Atlantic Herring Spawning Grounds: A Signal of Escalating Pelagic Predator–Prey Interaction?

Using hydroacoustic surveys conducted between 2002 and 2012 on Atlantic Herring spawning grounds, the authors of this study detected a 22-fold increase in Atlantic Bluefin Tuna across their core Canadian distribution. The tuna increase was independent of herring spawning ground location in the range, herring density, and herring schools area. Preliminary estimates of tuna numbers and consumption rates indicate that this predator may now be the most important herring consumer in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Sabaki Tilapia Production Systems

Sabaki Tilapia fry production is feasible in high salinity conditions under different production methods. The survival rate, growth performance, and fry production showed significant differences among the five production system types. The results of this study on the efficacy of commercial-scale Sabaki Tilapia farming systems could be utilized to inform related research and to further develop aquaculture techniques for euryhaline tilapia farming.

FISHERIES

Monitoring Trout Response to Instream Flow

Run-of-river hydropower reduces streamflow between the diversion and powerhouse, potentially impacting fish. Hydropower license conditions include instream flows to protect fish, but monitoring instream flow effectiveness to protect fish is rarely reported. This case study details how monitoring fish response and adaptive management was used to set instream flows for a small run-of-river hydropower project.

Progress Towards a Comprehensive Approach for Habitat Restoration in the Columbia Basin

In 2015, recommendations for a comprehensive approach to habitat restoration in the Columbia River basin were published in Fisheries, which included elements of landscape ecology and resilience, broad public support, governance for collaboration and integration, and capacity for learning and adaptation. Using the Grande Ronde River basin as a case study, the authors of this paper convened a working group consisting of local restoration practitioners, managers, and researchers involved in habitat restoration research, monitoring, and evaluation to assess progress towards meeting these recommendations.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Electrofishing Webinar

Join us on June 30 at 1:00 p.m. EDT for an electrofishing webinar with Kevin Meyer and Jim Reynolds, "The 100-Watt Method: A Protocol for Backpack Electrofishing in Small Streams." Registration is free for AFS members.

Hutton Challenge 2.0

This year, the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is launching another funding challenge building on the success of our 2020 campaign in conjunction with the "Spring Virtual Conference for Canceled Talks." Our goal for the Hutton Funding Challenge 2.0 is to reach 100 individual donations and raise $5,000 from June 1 to September 1. All donations will go directly to Robert F. Hutton Fund to support more student activities and internships for future program years.

Throughout the summer, tune into our Instagram accounts (@afshuttonprogram and @americanfisheries) to learn about what our 2021 Hutton Scholars are up to - we have lots in store for the students and our followers!

Tell Your Fisheries Story

Want to help recruit the next generation of fisheries professionals? The Equal Opportunities Section is developing a new outreach effort to engage middle and high school students through a series of short (1-3 minute) videos describing various careers in fisheries. EOS plans to engage these young audiences through stories that celebrate our profession and the work we do for fisheries and aquatic systems. These videos will be shared with teachers and their classrooms in Baltimore, Maryland, during the AFS 151st Annual Meeting, with plans to expand the audience in the near future.

Are You a Good Fit for FITS?

What does being a member of the Fisheries Information and Technology Section (FITS) get you? How about assistance attending the Annual Meeting! This year, FITS is excited to cover Early Bird or Virtual registration for AFS Baltimore (6-10 November 2021) for 10 lucky FITS members who:
  1. Currently qualify as Student or Early Career Professional
  2. Join FITS on or before 30 June 2021 (free for Students and Early Career Professionals), and
  3. Register for the drawing.
FITS wants to support current members and grow our community of professionals who have expertise or are interested in data collection, management, and analysis!

RESOURCES

EVENTS: See upcoming AFS and other fisheries events in our Events Calendar
CAREERS: For the latest JOBS postings from around the U.S. and Canada
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