Editors: J. Wesley Neal, Thomas J. Lang, Rebecca M. Krogman, Ken Kurzawski, Kevin M. Hunt, and John Taylor.

Stagnation or decline in angling participation in many locations is a major concern to management agencies and threatens to erode the political and economic support for recreational fishing. To combat these concerns, fishery management agencies are actively engaging in recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts designed to stop the decline and begin to regrow the angling population. This book represents a comprehensive evaluation of how fisheries conservation is conducted and funded within the context of the current paradigm. Further, it explores potential for expanding or even replacing that paradigm with a more inclusive model.

AFS recently submitted comments to the Council on Environmental Quality urging the removal of the four lower Snake River dams to restore salmon populations. The comments cited our recent policy statement on this issue.

Also, AFS Executive Director Doug Austen and Trout Unlimited Senior Scientist Helen Neville recently co-authored an opinion article in the Idaho Statesman, "Dams must be removed for Snake River salmon to have a future."

Did you miss a paper you were really hoping to get to at #AFS153 in Grand Rapids? Never fear, you can probably find a recording in the AFS Learning Center-Digital Library! Click the link that was emailed to all registered attendees on August 18 and watch at your leisure.

Relive your favorite moments from Grand Rapids with our photo albums including awards, plenary sessions, networking events, the Spawning Run, and more!

If you require a U.S. visa to attend the World Fisheries Congress in Seattle, Washington, USA, 3-7 March 2024, please apply for your visa as soon as possible to ensure that you are able to travel to the Congress.

Also, there is still time to apply for ALL of our travel award opportunities. See the WFC website for a list of awards, application instructions, and eligibility.

Finally, registration is now open!

Field evaluations of management manipulations are rarely conducted, in part because they are difficult to design and require large sampling effort. However, many commonly used management approaches have <50% success rate, indicating the need for more research. This paper provides a case study illustrating how historic standard sampling data from Oklahoma were used to design robust before–after control–impact study designs to evaluate the effectiveness of stocking saugeye Sander vitreus × S. canadensis as a predatory control for stunted White Crappie Pomoxis annularis populations.

 This paper provides a perspective that: (1) provides an overview of the tagging process and its effects on the physiology, behavior, and survival of fish; (2) highlights the diverse holding conditions and durations used by researchers (that are often inadequately described and seem arbitrary); and (3) identifies key research needs.

AFS is looking for volunteers to serve on committees for 2023-2024! Read more about the committees and complete the volunteer interest form.

Be on the lookout for your 2024 membership renewal email – coming soon! The American Fisheries Society appreciates your membership and asks you to renew your commitment for the coming year. Our goal is to return to pre-pandemic membership levels in 2024 and reach 10,000 members by 2026! Be an ambassador for AFS and help us reach that goal – tell your friends and colleagues to JOIN AFS! For questions about your account, contact membership@fisheries.org.  

One of the best ways to leverage your membership benefits is to join an AFS Section! If you are not already involved in an AFS Section, be sure to consider joining one in 2024. Sections are specialty groups in AFS based on areas of expertise. You can join as many Sections as you want. To add a Section(s) online, you must add them at the time you renew your membership by clicking on “Modify Billing Options,” or we can do it for you – simply email membership@fisheries.org and we can add it to your membership so it’s already on your account when you go to renew.