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MEETINGS

Deadline for Call for Sessions for Latin America and Caribbean Fisheries Congress

Session proposal submission ends on Monday, October 31 for the Latin America and Caribbean Fisheries Congress, to be held in Cancun, Mexico, in May 2023. Proposals for innovative sessions and educational workshops are also due on that date. Registration rates are now posted.

POLICY

AFS Calls for Refuge Funding Boost

AFS and many other scientific, conservation, and outdoor organizations called on the Biden Administration and Congress to dramatically increase funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System's Operations and Maintenance accounts.

Protect our Headwaters and Wetlands

As we reflect on the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we celebrate the law’s power to transform America’s polluted rivers to fishable and swimmable waterways. Advocating for science-based policy is one of the many critical programs managed by AFS. With your guidance, science, and support, AFS has worked to ensure that the definition of Waters of the U.S. is consistent with the best-available science. There is more work to be done as we await a Supreme Court opinion in Sackett vs. EPA and a new definition of WOTUS expected by the end of this year. AFS intends to continue to fight for clean water so critically important for healthy fish and healthy humans. Please consider making a contribution to the Adelman-Bigford fund to support this important work. The conservation and stewardship of our environment and natural resources is a cause worth championing.

National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month. U.S. policymakers must address the future of our seafood supply and food insecurity. Seafood demand in the U.S. has grown steadily, driven by increases in both population and per capita seafood consumption and is expected to grow significantly in the next decade. The impacts of climate change make it unlikely that capture fisheries can sustainably accommodate increased harvest pressure to meet the expected demand.

Marine aquaculture can help to meet the demand and take pressure off of wild fisheries. By establishing a clear and predictable legal and regulatory structure for marine aquaculture in the U.S., we can reduce the overreliance on seafood imports and improve seafood security with wholesome, domestically farmed seafood that minimizes the environmental and social footprint of the industry on our marine habitat and resources.

Healthy wild fisheries and responsible marine aquaculture can and must coexist if we are to feed ourselves and still fulfill our commitment to wild fish and wild places. Learn more here and contact your elected officials in Congress to call for a clear, predictable, regulatory framework that will enable a U.S. marine aquaculture industry to develop in a conscientious, environmentally sustainable manner.

SCIENCE

Methods for Fish Biology, 2nd Edition

This new edition of the groundbreaking Methods for Fish Biology covers topics ranging from taxonomy to physiology to applied ecology—and everything in between. Edited by Stephen R. Midway, Caleb T. Hasler, and Prosanta Chakrabarty, featuring contributions from a diverse team of authors.
  • 824 pages
  • hardcover
  • index
jaah best paper award

FISHERIES

Balancing Ecosystems, Harvests, and Seafood Markets

Recognition of competition and predator–prey interactions among species has led some to promote the concept of balanced harvesting, whereby fisheries would remove a proportional, sustainable fraction of all species in the fish community. Practical implementation of such a strategy hinges on understanding the current degree of species selection in fisheries and the factors that drive this selection. This interdisciplinary study measured ecosystem–market symmetry in the New England region by tracking species composition from ecosystem production, to catch, landings, and seafood markets.

The Emotional Challenges of Being a Fisheries (or Wildlife) Scientist

The rewards of being a scientist are many, and speaking from personal experience, this career path offers a great deal of freedom and stimulation that are hard to imagine finding elsewhere. The goal of this column, however, is to explore some of the emotional challenges scientists face.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2023 Hutton Mentor Applications Now Open

Applications for mentors for the 2023 Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program are now open! Inspire the next generation of fisheries professionals by sharing your passion for fish and fisheries. Hutton student applications will open December 12.

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AFS Membership Renewals for 2023 Now Open – Renew Today!

The American Fisheries Society (AFS) appreciates your membership and asks you to renew your commitment for the coming year. We are dedicated to the development and professional growth of our members by helping you CONNECT, ADVANCE, and SAVE. Our extensive membership benefits – the tools, resources, programs and activities, not to mention a strong network of peers and colleagues, will provide help and guidance as you advance in your career and profession. To renew, simply log in to your AFS account and click on the “Renew Now” button to get started. For questions or assistance, contact the Membership Team at [email protected]. If you did not receive a renewal notice in your inbox, please check your spam folder.
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Spokane Presentation Recordings Still Available

Spokane meeting attendees, remember that you can still watch any of the sessions you missed at AFS 2022 by accessing the AFS Virtual Meeting Platform! You should have received a link for the virtual platform in an email from AFS, but if you still need that link, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
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Join the Pacific Islands Chapter

AFS approved a new Pacific Islands Chapter and we are asking for your support. When you receive your membership renewal notice for 2023, please consider joining the Pacific Islands Chapter to help them get the new chapter launched with support from throughout AFS. To add the chapter to your dues subscriptions, simply click on “Modify Billing Options” after logging in to your account. The AFS Annual Meeting will be in Honolulu in September 2024 and the new PI Chapter will be a key part of organizing that event. We hope to support the PI Chapter as they reach out throughout the central Pacific and beyond to engage fisheries students, professionals and partners.

Last Chance to Share Your Opinions!

AFS reopened the Membership Survey—take this opportunity to share your opinions! Let us know how AFS could better serve you. We want to hear from all experience levels of membership—from tenured fisheries professionals who have been members for more than 20 years to those just starting out who joined only a year ago.

The survey will be closing soon! Please fill out the 2022 Membership Engagement and Satisfaction Survey (or Non-member Survey) that applies to you by October 10. Your feedback is important and will help guide AFS leadership and staff as we make strategic program decisions.

All participants can enter a drawing for your choice of a free AFS book or a $50 Amazon gift card using a separate Google form. For questions, contact Membership Manager Kelly Kotche at [email protected].

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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