Submitted by Andy Loftus

The popular software Fishery Analysis and Modelling Simulator (FAMS) that AFS offered for Windows XP and earlier machines has been recently upgraded and enhanced to make it operable on Windows 7 & 8.

The software, which is designed to simulate and evaluate the dynamics of exploited fish populations, allows for the evaluation of minimum, slot, and inverted length limits and bag limits on exploited fisheries.  In addition, it helps to analyze several predicted population parameters including the number of fish harvested and dying naturally, mean weight and length of harvested fish, number in the population above and below some lengths of interest, total number of fish and biomass in the population, stock density indices, number of age-1 fish, and the Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) and many other parameters.

“I look forward to training more students to use FAMS in their fisheries careers and using it in my own future research,” remarked Dr. Clay Pierce, Assistant Leader for Fisheries of the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Iowa State University upon trying out the new version. Dr. Pierce has made FAMS a core component of his teaching for over a decade with many of his students going on to utilize the software in their management and research careers.

The redeveloped version of FAMS will provide the following enhancements:

• Compatibility with Windows Vista, 7 and 8 64-bit operating system
• Improved user interface (less redundancy, easier navigation,  improved menu logic, menu hot-key shortcuts)
• Improved Graphics Module (user has more control over editing chart elements)
• Enhanced spreadsheet functionality and compatibility with Microsoft Excel.
• Increased functionality to estimate natural mortality (11 equations now available)

FAMS and an earlier software package, FAST, have been a key piece of fisheries research and management for 15 years, with a 150 citations (mostly peer reviewed) returned in Google Scholar and more than 1,000 copies being distributed to fisheries professionals.

“The release of this upgraded version of FAMS is critical to fisheries professionals,” remarked Thom Litts, President of the AFS Fisheries Information & Technology Section. “With the proliferation of 64bit computers and Microsoft’s discontinued support for Windows XP in April 2014,  earlier versions of FAMS will become obsolete as users and agencies upgrade their computers leaving a void in fisheries research and management capabilities.”

Both the upgraded FAMS version 1.64 and the original FAMS version 1.0 (for Windows XP and earlier) are available in the AFS Bookstore (http://fisheries.org/shop).  AFS members receive a 30% discount off of the regular price.  Additional information and reviews of FAMS can be found at www.fishdata.org.