American Fisheries Society

INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES SECTION

 2024 – 2025 Work Plan

Sara E. Cannon, President

Expand Membership, with a focus on Pacific Islanders and women from Low- and Middle-Income countries

• Increase the IFS membership with a focus on Pacific Islanders, women from Low- and Middle-Income countries, and Indigenous women
• Build relationships with international organizations supporting women in fisheries sciences, with an emphasis on organizations working in the Pacific Islands.
• Organize sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities at AFS 2025 (San Antonio, Texas) based on barriers and priorities identified by Pacific Islanders
• Investigate the possibility of creating and maintaining an Indigenous Fisheries section of the AFS

Support Global Conferences and Initiatives

• Support World Fisheries Congress 2024 (Seattle, Washington)

• Support the AFS 2025 annual meeting (San Antonio, Texas)

Build on Communication Strategy

• Update the listserv including OLAF and AWIS fellows 
• Maintain communication with membership through regular email blasts to members
• Improve and update the IFS website 
• Maintain Social Media presence and recruit people for the IFS social media team (thanks to So-Jung Youn and Lisa Kelly for their services)
• Promote the IFS Editorial Assistance Program (Robert Mussgnug, Julie Claussen)

Manage Directives

• Coordinate OLAF International Membership Awards (Paul Simonin, Gretchen Stokes)
• Maintain fiscal responsibility of section funds (Paul Simonin)
• Grant International Travel Awards (ITAs) from the Sullivan Family Endowment Fund
• Ensure fair and equitable adjudication of ITA (establish transparent selection criteria)
• Coordinate FSBI-AFS Fellows Program (Spencer Weinstein)
• Grant Bern Megrey World Fisheries Congress Travel Awards (Bob Hughes)

Contribute to AFS

• Host international symposium at AFS 2025 in San Antonio, Texas
• Represent international members to AFS 
• Support the continued and ongoing development of the Respectful Meetings Working Group in working with local Indigenous communities where conferences are held to ensure they benefit
• Continue supporting the Respectful Meetings Working Group in increasing the number of Indigenous AFS members and meeting attendees.

Vision for IFS

The IFS’ influential position on the global stage and the capacity of the section to facilitate international collaboration can be leveraged to amplify the voices of less visible regions, communities, and demographics within the fisheries sector. Pacific Islanders, especially women, are underrepresented in fisheries sciences, despite the global importance of their nation’s exclusive economic zones. Combined, the Pacific Islands account for almost ⅓ of global EEZs, and while some of these nations are the smallest in the world by population, the Pacific Islands EEZs collectively cover an area that spans almost 15% of the Earth’s surface. In addition, people in the Pacific Islands, who consume more fish per capita than any other region of the world, depend heavily on fisheries for cultural, economic, and subsistence purposes. In my role as president of the IFS of AFS, I will focus on building the section’s capacity to support fisheries scientists from the Pacific Islands, with a particular focus on women. This could proceed through outreach activities geared towards increasing membership for Pacific Islanders, building networks to facilitate connection and collaboration among international members in the Pacific Islands with a focus on those who investigate gender dynamics in fisheries, and organizing a Pacific Islands thematic section for the 2025 AFS meeting. This focus intersects with and builds on past presidential initiatives to facilitate international collaboration and engagement. It also dovetails with the focus on accessibility for Indigenous Peoples proposed for 2021-22 and supporting women in fisheries sciences proposed for 2022-23 and 2023-24. In addition to the above, I remain committed to enhancing core IFS activities including representing international members to AFS, building on existing international partnerships, and administering awards and travel support.