Because Mark Air's departure from Alaska eliminated competitive air fares to Dutch Harbor, the 1995 Annual Meeting has been moved to the Lake Lucille Inn near Wasilla. While this change is disappointing to many, the best air fares available were comparable to attending the AFS National Meeting in Florida! We apologize for any inconvenience, but this change should allow more members to attend. I would like to thank Rance Morrison, our former Local Arrangements chair at Dutch Harbor, and Jane Schroeder of the Grand Aleutian Hotel for their valiant efforts at trying to have the meeting in Dutch Harbor. Maybe next year. Meeting registration will be Monday evening November 13, and the formal meeting will begin Tuesday morning November 14 and run through Thursday November 16. We have arranged to use all 50 rooms at Lake Lucille Inn (800-528-1234). For confirmed reservations, please register at least 30 days in advance and indicate you are attending the American Fisheries Society meeting. Unreserved rooms will be released October 12. Rooms are $85 deluxe, $75 without view, and $10 for extra occupants. Additional lodging is available at the Matsu Resort (376-3228), about 5 minutes drive from Lake Lucille Lodge. Room rates are $45 economy, $55 deluxe, $75 suites, and $55 cabins. Morning and evening shuttles will be available between the hotels. We also arranged for discounted air fares with Delta and Alaska Airlines. On Delta (800-241-6760), mention file ref.#X-B-0295 to receivea 10% discount off normal fares. On Alaska (800-426-0333), mention file ref.# CMR119 for asimilar discount. Contact Local Arrangements chair Larry Peltz (745-5016) if you can help with meeting arrangements or if you have any questions about the Wasilla area.
The theme of this year's meeting is "Alaska's Fisheries--Prospering or Imperiled?" Despite the meeting's location change, marine fisheries will still be emphasized.
Short Course
On Monday November 13, before meeting registration, Dr. Carl Walters of the University of British Columbia will teach a 1-day course from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm titled "Assessment and Management Strategies for Fisheries with Extreme Stock-Size Assessment Errors and High Variation in Long-Term Production: Moving Toward Refuge Systems and Risk Management Via Limitation of Exploitation Rates." Dr. Walters will also be our guest lecturer on Tuesday morning with a timely talk titled "Lessons for Stock Assessment from the Canadian Northern Cod Collapse." Registration forms for the Annual Meeting and short course will be available in the fall Oncorhynchus. Contact our Continuing Education chair, Mike Millard (456-0273; fax 456-0454) for costs and early course registration.
Panel Session
An interesting panel session is scheduled for Wednesday morning: Turf Battles or Conservation Wars: Jurisdictional Conflicts in Alaska's Fisheries Management--Do They Threaten the Conservation of Alaska's Fisheries Resources? I once read that salmon bound for the Columbia River were regulated by over 20 different agencies. Apparently, success has not come with increased numbers of regulatory agencies. Perhaps the growing number of international, federal, and state jurisdictional conflicts in Alaska indicates we should be concerned about the future of Alaska fisheries. This panel session should shed some light on where we are and provide some guidance for the future. The panel will be chaired by Doug Eggers, ADF&G, and tentatively will have the following topics and speakers: Columbia River jurisdictional conflicts--a lesson or a prediction, Phil Mundy, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; State of Alaska perspective on implementation problems with federal delegation of management authority to the State of Alaska for EEZ fisheries, Earl Krygier, ADF&G; Federal government perspective on implementation problems with federal delegation of management authority to the State of Alaska for EEZ fisheries, Sue Salveson, NMFS; Bifurcation of groundfish fishery management at the 3-mile boundary--opportunity for Alaskan coastal communities, Denby Lloyd, Aleutians East Borough; Development of an international fishery management regime for the Central Bering Sea pollock fishery, Doug Eggers, ADF&G; Sport and charter boat/IFQ holder conflicts in the Pacific halibut fishery, Doug Vincent-Lang, ADF&G; Equity issues in U.S./Canada treaty implementation, Jeff Koenings, ADF&G; Managing for sustained yield and/or biological diversity under the Endangered Species Act, Jim Seeb, ADF&G; Recent developments in federal/state jurisdictional roles in interior salmon fisheries, Tina Cunning, ADF&G; and Legal issues associated with federal/state jurisdictional roles in interior salmon fisheries, Joanne Grace, Alaska Department of Law.
Contributed Papers
The Annual Meeting will also feature many interesting technical sessions. Please contact a session chair identified below if you wish to contribute a paper. If you wish to add a session to this year's program, please provide me with a suggested title. We have room for one or two more sessions. Posters are also welcome! The following is our program's first draft; it may change significantly before being finalized.
Management and Biology of Alaska's Fisheries of Our Marine Ecosystems
Peggy Murphy, Chair; 465-6107; ADF&G, Capital Office Park, P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802. Depending on interest, there may be two sessions on marine fisheries, focusing separately on shellfish and groundfish.
Failures and Successes in the Management of Central and Western Alaska's Salmon Fisheries Hal Geiger, Chair; 465-6107; ADF&G, Capital Office Park, P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802.
Fisheries Habitat--Are We Protecting It or Have We Failed to Learn the Lessons from the Lower 48? Bill Hauser, Chair; 267-2172; ADF&G H&R Division, 333 Raspberry Rd., Anchorage, AK 99518-1599.
Aquaculture--Risks Associated with Adding Value to Fisheries Gary Fandrei, Chair; 283-5761; Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association HC 2, Box 849, Soldotna, AK 99669.
Contributed Papers Stephen Fried, Chair; 267-2130; ADF&G CFMD Division, 333 Raspberry Rd., Anchorage, AK 99518-1599.
Poster Session We need a volunteer to chair the session!
This program should provide an avenue for communication with your peers on a broad range of major fisheries issues. Please contact me with any advice or suggestions. We'll look forward to seeing you in Wasilla this fall. Dana Schmidt, 260-2909, fax 262-7646; 2720 Set Net Court, Kenai, AK 99611; e-mail fishak@alaska.net or DanaS%fishgame@state.ak.us.
Thinking Globally The Alaska Chapter goes International! We in Alaska have daily reminders of how the scope of our fisheries resources is international. As our Chapter matures, we are becoming more involved in international fisheries.
At our annual meeting last fall, our International Committee Chair, Vic Starostka, organized the first International Fisheries session. It included some particularly helpful hints from Fred DeCicco to make the road to Russia a bit smoother. Now Vic is going international himself in a big way. He is beginning service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Russia--and he has promised to take the Alaska Chapter along. While in Russia, Vic will continue as an active member of the International Committee.
In the meantime, we need an International Committee Chair a little closer to home. With Vic as our own correspondent in Russia, we have a special opportunity to set up some unique international relations with Russian fisheries scientists. If you have been looking for a way to become more involved in the Chapter and in international fisheries, here's your chance. Contact me (address on page 1) if you are interested in chairing or becoming a member of the International Committee.
On another international front, and just as far from home, the Alaska Chapter is also supporting international relations. Efforts to expand AFS throughout North America include involving more of our fellow fisheries scientists in Canada and Mexico. A session focusing on Mexican fisheries is scheduled at this year's AFS National Meeting in Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, the recent devaluation of the Mexican peso threatens the attendance of the Mexican presenters. The Alaska Chapter EXCOM responded to a Florida Chapter request to ensure Mexican participation by donating $200 to help defray expenses of our international members. "The Alaska Chapter, Coming of Age" was the theme of our 21st annual meeting last November. As a Chapter officer these past 5 years, I have been privileged to see the Chapter come of age and become more diverse. Increasing our involvement in and support of international fisheries is just one of many signs of our increasing maturity and diversity.
Serving Locally
As I write our annual Chapter report to the Western Division, I am reminded that many individual members contribute to the Chapter's growth and accomplishments. As a committee member and officer, I have found that in serving, I also receive. Service in the Alaska Chapter has helped me reach three of my goals as a fisheries biologist: 1) keeping up to date on fisheries science; 2) being aware of how the big picture of fisheries resources plays out in my professional role; and 3) being part of the solution to fisheries issues that are larger and broader than my individual job. Besides ensuring that the Chapter continues to provide the resources that I depend on, I gain a personal sense of accomplishment as well. As the Chapter has matured, the opportunities to serve have also increased. Serving on a committee is one way to get involved. The International Committee, 18 other committees, and contacts are listed on the reference card inserted in the last issue of Oncorhynchus. And there are several ways to learn more. Officers and committee chairs are preparing handbooks which will be displayed at the Annual Meeting. Ask any officer for a copy of the Chapter Procedures Manual which outlines the duties of each committee and each office. All Chapter members are invited to attend the EXCOM Retreat held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. Once you get your feet wet on a committee, you may decide you want to jump in all the way, serving on an extended basis as a Chapter officer. Secretary-Treasurers serve for 2 years, while Vice-Presidents make a 4-year commitment to rotate through the offices of Vice-President, President-elect, President, and Past President. If you decide being an officer is one of your future goals, talk to Past President Joe Webb or me about your interest. While Joe is recruiting candidates for 1995, I am already scouting for potential candidates for 1996.
A workshop, Applications of Growth Models in Fisheries Research, is planned for the week of October 16-20 in Anchorage, conducted by Drs. Barry Moser and Jay Geaghan of Louisiana State University's Department of Experimental Statistics. Registration will cost about $275, depending on number of participants. Topics will include traditional fishery growth models, some innovative applications of repeated measures analysis, plus some aspects of growth obtainable from tagging data.
Mark your calendars! This workshop represents an excellent opportunity to expand your capabilities for exploring fish growth issues. Other workshops being planned for later dates include one on technical writing and another on mark-recapture techniques for estimating fish abundance. For registration information, contact Mike Millard 456-0273, fax 456-0454, e-mail 76415.721@compuserve.com or Jill Follett 267-2395, fax 349-5532, e-mail jillf%fishgame@state.ak.us.
The Alaska Chapter EXCOM recently approved development of a home page on the Internet. This will allow EXCOM and committee members to send e-mail to a common source andprovide a bulletin board for Chapter activities, membership forms, and general information about the Alaska Chapter to anyone who has access to e-mail or the Internet. The system will be simple at first, with information about the upcoming Annual Meeting and AFS membership. Volunteers with Internet and UNIX expertise are welcomed to help develop the home page. The Chapter's e-mail address is fishak@alaska.net, and the home page address is http://www.alaska.net/~fishak. Send an e-mail message to us or log on to our home page to see what's happening. We will have an evening session at the Annual Meeting to explain how to access the Internet and the types of fisheries-related information that will be available. We also would like to get e-mail addresses of all Chapter members who have Internet addresses. Please send your e-mail address to fishak@alaska.net. Contact me if you have any questions.
The AFS Continuing Education Committee has been exploring different ways to provide members with training opportunities. Currently, nearly all AFS-sponsored courses are given at meetings. While these can be effective, they may not be readily accessible to all members. For certain subjects, correspondence courses may provide training opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. Many universities offer correspondence courses, but offerings in fisheries and aquatic ecology are practically nonexistent. We are seeking help from instructors who are teaching or have taught fisheries-related courses that can be reformatted into a correspondence course. If you think one or more of your undergraduate, graduate, or in-service courses have potential as correspondence courses, the Committee would appreciate hearing from you. We recognize that course revisions may require considerable effort and costs, and funds to defray costs may be available. To further explore potential courses, contact Bob Carline (814)865-4511, fax 863-4710; Merkle Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802; e-mail f7u@psuvm.psu.edu.
The Alaska Student Unit operates from September to April during the academic year. Membership consists of students enrolled at Alaska universities and colleges. Officers presiding in 1994-95 were Robert Foy, President; Melissa Tendick, Vice-President; and Tom Cappiello, Secretary-Treasurer. Jim Reynolds continued serving as Unit Advisor. Goals for the year included continuing the lecture series and increasing student membership to include all Alaska schools that show interest. The Student Unit has been successful in increasing student membership, as shown by good turnouts at most of this year's meetings. Activities for 1994-95 included several guest speakers and two socials. Guest speakers included Ray ReLonde, Marine Advisory Program, who spoke on shellfish aquaculture; Robert Trumble, International Halibut Commission, who spoke on Halibut Commission research; and Terrance Quinn II, UA, who spoke on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. Highlights for the year Unit member Steve Brink received the Best Student Paper Award at the Alaska Chapter Annual Meeting for his graduate research on Gulkana River rainbow trout/steelhead. Alaska Chapter membership voted in the April Oncorhynchus on including the Student Unit President as a voting member of the EXCOM (results not yet official). The officers elected for 1995-96 are Melissa Tendick, President; Mike Daigneault, Vice-President; and Tory Stata, Secretary-Treasurer.
Due to a typographical error in the last issue, we are asking members to re-vote on the proposed change in the Chapter Bylaws. If you voted before, please re-vote. Proposal: Change the Chapter Bylaws to: (1) Recognize the Alaska Student Subunit, and (2) Establish the Student Unit President as an Executive Committee Member. In the following, underlines denote language to be added to the Chapter Bylaws. Please contact any Executive Committee member if you need a full copy of the existing Bylaws. Section 6 Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Chapter shall consist of the elected officers of the Chapter, subunit presidents, and the immediate Past President. The committee is authorized to act for the Chapter between meetings and to perform appropriate duties and functions. Section 13 Alaska Student Unit The Alaska Student Unit is a statewide organization of Alaska Chapter members who are AFS student members. The Alaska Student Unit provides representation for and attention toward issues concerning students of fisheries and aquatic sciences.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND AFS NUMBER
AND MAIL THIS BALLOT TO:
Dennis Tol
Resolutions/Bylaws Chair
222 W 7th Ave, #13
Anchorage, AK 99513
PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE
[ ] I APPROVE THE CHANGE TO THE CHAPTER BYLAWS
[ ] I DO NOT APPROVE THE CHANGE TO THE CHAPTER
BYLAWS
REMEMBER - YOUR VOTE COUNTS!