ANNUAL MEETING

Call for Sessions for the 2025 Annual Meeting Now Open

Session proposal submission is now open for the 155th Annual Meeting, August 10-14, 2025, in San Antonio! The theme for the 2025 meeting is Headwaters to Saltwater: Understanding the Past, Protecting the Future, 155 Years of AFS. Next year's conference includes the Black Bass Symposium, being held for the first time in 25 years. Session proposals are due by January 24, 2025.

Did You Know...

That AFS members can save up to $200 on meeting registration? Join or renew now!

PUBLICATIONS

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Annual Book Sale Starts on Monday

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Our annual End-of-Year Book Sale begins on Monday, December 9, with more than 100 books priced at $15 or less. For the first time, seven new titles have been added to the sale—including Selected Writings of Sidney J. Holt—priced from $20-30. Hurry, the sale ends January 17.

SCIENCE

Ice Fishing Is an Important Activity in Many Northern Countries That Is Under Threat from Climate Change

Ice fishers are more committed and likely skilled anglers who fish fewer locations and increasingly concentrate their fishing activity on cool- and coldwater species. These results imply that a type of effort sorting occurs that can result in localized impacts to fish and fish populations during the ice season.

Open access

Seasonal Variability in Condition and Spatial Distribution of Chinook Salmon: Implications for Ecosystem-based Management

Chinook Salmon exhibit size- and stock-specific differences in seasonal condition and spatial distribution, resulting in implications for ecosystem-based management of marine life stages.

FISHERIES

Open access

Multispecies Portfolios of U.S. Marine Fisheries: Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Reduces Economic Risk

Fisheries management has focused on single stocks, not directly accounting for species interactions, and usually only considering economic factors in post hoc analysis. This approach has been successfully applied for many species over many years, but may also inadvertently result in greater risks being incurred. This paper demonstrates a portfolio optimization approach to inform a broader set of fishery concerns as a way to emphasize species interactions and economic considerations in resource management decision making.

The Value of Information Is Context Dependent: A Demonstration of Decision Tools to Address Multispecies River Temperature Management Under Uncertainty

Trade-offs among objectives in natural resource management can be exacerbated in altered ecosystems and when there is uncertainty in predicted management outcomes. Multi-criteria decision analysis and value of information (VOI) are underutilized decision tools that can assist fisheries managers in handling trade-offs and evaluating the importance of uncertainty. This paper demonstrates the use of these tools using a case study in the Sacramento River, California, USA, where two imperiled species with different temperature requirements, winter-run Chinook Salmon and Green Sturgeon, spawn and rear in the artificially cold Shasta Dam tailwater.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Upcoming Webinar

Science communication is a crucial aspect of our work, whether we’re sharing our research findings with others or educating stakeholders about why management changes are necessary. However, we often don’t take time to pause and consider our own mindset about how best to communicate. Join us on December 11 at 2 pm Eastern to explore attitudes about how scientists communicate and provide ways to that we can access our approaches.

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Latest Podcast: Focus on the Education Section

In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the AFS Education Section. Join us to learn more about this Section's current and upcoming projects!

Episode guest: Martin Hamel, President, AFS Education Section, and Associate Professor, Fisheries Management & Ecology, University of Georgia

ANNOUCEMENTS

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2025 Hutton Applications Now Open for Students and Mentors

The Hutton Program is now accepting applications for the summer of 2025! The Hutton Program is an 8-week, paid summer internship opportunity for high school students interested in a career in fisheries and aquatic sciences. Selected students are paired with a fisheries professional to gain invaluable hands-on experience. Student applications are due January 19 and mentor applications are due March 1.

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Year-End Giving Season

Giving Tuesday may be over but year-end giving is just beginning! Support the AFS areas of greatest need through a gift to the General Fund.

ACCESS+ Survey

ACCESS+ is seeking participants for a research study, “An intersectional, critical mixed-methods approach to understanding member experiences with STEM professional society and association culture,” funded by the ASAE Research Foundation (IRB 2024-0164).

We are interested in understanding your individual experiences with, and perspectives about your STEM professional society as well as the kinds of changes you would like to see. Your responses will help your society better understand how members experience the society and make informed decisions about what improvements are needed.

We are inviting adults age 18 and above who are members of at least one of the above STEM professional societies to participate in a 30-minute survey. To thank you for participating, you have the option to be entered into a drawing for one of five $250 Amazon gift cards.

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Consider Giving the Gift of Membership This Holiday Season

Do you know an aspiring student of fisheries science? Make an investment in a student’s future or contribute to a colleague’s professional growth by giving them the Gift of AFS Membership! Give them the tools and resources they will need as a fisheries professional and introduce them to the fisheries community that will be an invaluable aspect of their future career.

Being part of the AFS community means having access to the professional network, tools, and knowledge needed to address the complexities of fisheries conservation.”

– Jesse Trushenski, AFS Past President, Riverence

For questions or assistance, contact Kelly Kotche at kkotche@fisheries.org.

RESOURCES

EVENTS: See upcoming AFS and other fisheries events in our Events Calendar

CAREERS: Browse the latest JOBS postings from around the U.S. and Canada

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Visit our searchable Center for Fisheries Technology and Collaboration to find the latest fisheries equipment and technology

OTHER RESOURCES: See also our special websites on Climate Change and Fisheries; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Fisheries; and our Gray Literature Database

Keep up with the latest news, get involved, and build your fisheries career.

Join | Donate

Your donations to the American Fisheries Society enable us to advance science and conservation through varied programs and activities. Donate today.

Editors: Beth Beard, Peter Turcik

Please submit story ideas to: Beth Beard

AFS is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law. For more information about donating to AFS, visit https://fisheries.org/about/support-afs/

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