Student applications are now open for the 2024 Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program. The Hutton Program is an 8-week paid summer internship and mentoring program for high school students, with the goal of stimulating interest in fisheries and aquatic science among groups underrepresented in the profession today. Please note this year's earlier application deadline: January 16, 2024. Interesting in hosting a student this summer? Mentor applications are also open on our website!

CALLING ALL ARTISTS! #WFC2024 will feature an Artwork Exhibition. All registered World Fisheries Congress attendees are eligible to participate. 

Deadline to apply to showcase your art is January 31, 2024.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) aims to increase awareness of career opportunities in the fisheries assessor space by introducing the Fisheries Conformity Assessors Program (FCAP). Due to the expansion of the current MSC certification program, the expected growth of the In Transition to MSC (ITM) program, and a high percentage of the workforce nearing retirement age, the pool of assessors available to the market is slowly diminishing. A FCAP workshop will be offered free of charge at the World Fisheries Congress in Seattle in March 2024.

The holidays are fast approaching and soon you will have 100 things to do; renew today and mark renewing your AFS membership off your list! If you are a fisheries professional or aspiring to be one, AFS is the society dedicated to your profession and career. Renewals provide the support we need to provide the resources and tools that help our members CONNECT, ADVANCE, and SAVE!  

NEW FOR 2024:

The default option for Fisheries is now digital-only, so you must opt in when you renew your membership if you want to continue to receive a printed copy in the mail. For additional guidance, click here for a video tutorial and more information regarding membership renewal for 2024. For questions or assistance, contact the Membership Team at membership@fisheries.org.

Renewal time is a great opportunity to review your contact information and make any changes. Additionally, we’ve added new demographic questions to help us get to know our members better so that we can tailor programs to fit all members’ needs! Simply log in to your account to make any changes to your profile or demographics. Click here for a video tutorial and additional guidance on how to renew your membership and update your profile.  

Angler catch of Blue Catfish was not influenced by live-imaging sonar in this controlled experiment. However, there was evidence that the use of live-imaging sonar influenced angler perception and behavior.

Largemouth Bass are the most popular Florida freshwater sport fish and are also commonly raised in hatcheries and displayed in public aquaria. Disease can threaten the health and longevity of both wild and managed fish populations, making it important to identify infectious and emerging diseases, including those caused by bacteria. The discovery of new diseases in Largemouth Bass can illuminate opportunities for improved management and husbandry practices pertaining to this species.

On 25 May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Sackett vs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the latest salvo in the sad saga about defining “waters of the United States,” a statutory term delimiting the federal scope of the Clean Water Act. The Court held that a wetland is protected by the CWA only if it adjoins a larger water body, such as a navigable water.

Native Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi have decreased by 90% across their historic range; however, the Flathead River in Montana is a rangewide stronghold for these imperiled fish. The primary threat to Westslope Cutthroat Trout is hybridization with invasive Rainbow Trout O. mykiss, which leads to hybrid swarm formation and genomic extinction. 

AFS Meetings Program Manager Rachel Bruce has been named by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) as one of their "20 in Their Twenties" for 2024. PCMA is a professional organization, representing management of business events, conferences and conventions, with more than 8,400 members in 37 countries.