Dana Schmidt, President
Fisheries as a Profession One of the comments I often receive when asking individuals if they are interested in becoming a member of the Alaska Chapter is a statement to the effect that "I have other activities in my life that are more important then fisheries meetings." These activities may range from coaching kid's athletic events to church activities. Like most of you, I have a life outside of my occupation. I try to balance activities in Rotary International, the Peninsula Retriever Club, the Peninsula Archery Club, and Ducks Unlimited with hunting trips in fall and usually a SCUBA diving trip south in winter, with some rainforest hikes in between. But among these activities, maintaining some level of currency in my profession as fisheries biologist is a personal job requirement that I have set for myself. Professional improvement is a personal ethic that I believe I need to do to earn my paycheck.
Most of my employers have appreciated this attitude but certainly not all; some have suggested that these meetings are paid vacations and shopping trips. I can't say that my continual work at self education by reading journals and attending professional meetings has made me highly successful in the work place, but it certainly has made my employment more interesting and fulfilling. I am always amazed by what I can learn from others, and I try to repay their efforts by sharing what I've learned. I am also always saddened by those who have chosen this profession only to find it stressful, repetitive, and boring, even though they have the ability to turn their jobs into exciting opportunities that most people would envy.
The Chapter is only one of many professional organizations to choose from. If you don't like what this organization has to offer, find another. However, enjoy this fisheries profession in one of the few places on the planet where the resources are abundant and their future depends on your skills. Successful fishers, as well as loggers, oilers, and plumbers, all attend professional meetings, read journals, and continue to improve their competitive position in the work place. The future of fisheries in Alaska depends on a similar attitude shared by fisheries biologists.
My short-term objective as Chapter President is to help Alaskan fisheries professionals enjoy their work. By doing this, we will all be more effective in continuing the conservation legacy we have inherited. I believe we can best do this by sharing quality science among ourselves and with the public. We must also provide forums for vigorous debate on policy issues where we and the public are at odds. Continuing education courses will remain a high priority, and I encourage all of you to take advantage of these opportunities as they arise.
This organization will continue to be a broad umbrella that encompasses the entire spectrum of fisheries professionals in the state. If you feel left out or believe this organization is not conducting activities to support your profession, let me know, and between the two of us, we can start to correct it. However, be prepared to become involved, as I am unable to make these changes alone. And also be prepared for disagreement. When you work under a broad umbrella, you must tolerate different points of view. Virtually any Chapter activity will produce dissent. This Chapter and the parent society will continue to make decisions with which you and I may disagree. Your involvement in the leadership and committees is necessary to keep the organization on the course you think is correct.
Participation in professional organizations need not be a burden in your life. Make it part of your personal job description, and I believe you'll find that some of the early enthusiasm you had when choosing the fisheries profession will return. Don't give up your free time at coaching or participating in sports, hunting, or fishing. Do spend the little time necessary to make the fisheries profession fun for yourself again.
Those of you who could not attend the Annual Meeting missed some stimulating panel sessions on fisheries policy, as well as fine technical presentations. Carl Walters provided an excellent 1-day course on factors to consider in development of fisheries harvest strategies. During his presentation as our guest speaker Tuesday morning, he highlighted this information emphasizing the human tragedy that can result when scientists provide poor advice on harvest policy. The panel sessions on habitat and jurisdictional disputes were particularly interesting, with wide-ranging views expressed by panel members. Lieutenant-Governor Fran Ulmer gave an update on Alaska's fishery issues and invited the Chapter to suggest nominees to the ASTF board of directors. Chuck Meacham, new chair of the Past Presidents Committee, will forward some suggestions for candidates in the near future. There was an excellent poster session chaired by Judy Gordon, and an interesting selection of technical papers which seemed of particularly high quality this year. I want to thank all of the Chairs who worked with me this year, and especially Larry Peltz, the Local Area Arrangements Chair, and his committee for doing such an excellent job.
Abstracts of presentations are available on the Chapter's Internet home page, http://www.alaska.net/~fishak, or send me a note requesting a copy of this year's printed program (while supply lasts). Jim Reynolds and the Student Unit at Fairbanks videotaped the sessions, and you can contact the unit for a video of anything that interests you. I want to thank all of you who participated in the meeting for making it such a success.
Quorum was determined by a show of hands; 29 Chapter members were present. The EXCOM was introduced: Joe Webb, Past President; Dana Schmidt, PresidentElect; Kate Wedemeyer, President; Brenda Wright, SecretaryTreasurer; and Steve Klein, Vice President. President Wedemeyer introduced Jack Wingate, President, National AFS. A motion was made from the floor to approve the minutes from the 1994 Chapter business meeting. Jim Reynolds seconded, and the minutes were approved by voice vote.
Treasurer's Report: SecretaryTreasurer Wright reported a total balance of $82,575.27 in five accounts: Alaska Chapter account, $50,279.72; Certificate of Deposit, $28,757.47; Fishes of Alaska Key, $242.99; Raffle account, $3295.09; and Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium account, $0. The Chapter is obligated for $30,000 for publication of the Arctic Fish Symposium and $10,000 for the Habitat Restoration Proceedings.
Committee Reports: Committee Chairs reported on activities in 1995. (See Committee Reports elsewhere in this issue.)
Installation of New Officers: President Wedemeyer introduced the newly elected officers: Peggy Merritt, President-Elect, and Buck Bryant, Vice President. President Wedemeyer expressed the thanks of the Chapter to Joe Webb and Steve Klein for volunteering their service as past officers, and to Phil Rigby and Joe Sullivan for running for Chapter office.
Outgoing President's Address: President Wedemeyer expressed her appreciation of the growing experience provided by service to the Chapter. All members help the Chapter by offering to serve on committees, chair sessions, present papers, and serve as officers.
Changing of the Guard: Dana Schmidt accepted the gavel and officially took office. He expressed thanks to Kate and all the officers for their efforts. President Schmidt urged all members to volunteer on committees and other Chapter duties, saying we need wider participation in Chapter activities.
New Business: AFS 2000: Alex Wertheimer reported for John Thedinga who was unable to attend. AFS 2000 is a fund-raising goal for National AFS to fund an endowment for publications, upgrade electronics, and increase office space in Bethesda. A proposed goal of $1.25 million includes $900,000 of matching funds, but only if AFS reaches the goal of $350,000 in pledges from members.
Fisheries Initiative, Teeming with Wildlife: Larry Peltz was recruited by Doug Lang to request Chapter support for this initiative that would place a modest tax on outdoor products, such as boots, birdseed, and RV's, to support nongame-species management. Discussion: If hunters and fishers traditionally pay for resource management by license fees, why shouldn't other users help support also? Motion: The Chapter should send the Fisheries Initiative petition to the Environmental Concerns Committee for recommended action. Motion was seconded. Discussion: If this is advocacy, then it should follow the Advocacy Procedures; if a resolution, it should go to the Resolutions Committee. Motion carried.
Annual Meeting: PresidentElect Peggy Merritt, as a newly elected officer, did not yet have a location or theme for the 1996 Annual Meeting. The 1997 AFS Western Division meeting will be held in conjunction with the National meeting in Monterey, California.
Jack Wingate, National AFS President, thanked the Chapter for inviting him to attend. Alaskan hospitality was a real experience for a Midwestern flat-lander. Motion to adjourn carried by voice vote, and meeting adjourned at 1630.
Peggy Merritt, President-Elect
The Chapter's 1996 Annual Meeting will be held in Fairbanks on November 1921. The theme of the meeting will be Inter-relating Biology, Socioeconomics, and Politics to Manage Alaska's Fisheries. Session topics will include 1) Optimization methods and models for solving fishery problems with multiple objectives; 2) Watershed management relating to fisheries; 3) Yukon River (U.S. and Canada): relating fisheries assessments to policies (watershed use, harvest, jurisdiction) and socioeconomic consequences of these relations to fishers; 4) Marine fisheries: multiagency issues and solutions; 5) Freshwater fisheries: multiagency issues and solutions; 6) Fishery value: its influence on regulation; and 7) Sciences related to Alaska fisheries research and management: climate information and satellite technology, acoustics, detection of global warming, and others.
Please contact me to suggest additional topics for sessions, workshops, or luncheons, or if you have a paper or poster to present, or if you would like to help in any way. I am now forming a local arrangements committee and working on all details involved in organizing the meeting. More information on travel and hotel accommodations will be in the next Oncorhynchus. I look forward to hearing from you. Peggy Merritt, ADF&G Sport Fish Division, 1300 College Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99701; 4597296; fax 4562259, email pmerritt%fishgame@state.ak.us.
Ken Roberson was the 1995 winner of the Wally Noerenberg Award presented at the Annual Meeting banquet. Ken has been active in the Chapter over the years and has had a distinguished career in Alaska fisheries. Ken's pioneering work in developing eggincubation facilities and his extensive work in development and conservation of fisheries in the Copper River Basin have been highly regarded by the public and his peers. Ken recently wrote to thank the Chapter and the selection committee for their kindness. He's put the award to good use by upgrading his home computer. We wish Ken the best in the future in his retirement and look forward to seeing him and getting his advice on Copper River fisheries issues in the future.
Fred DeCicco, ADF&G's Sport Fish Area Biologist for Northwestern Alaska in Fairbanks, received the Chapter's Meritorious Service Award for his important work on Dolly Varden, Arctic char, and grayling. Fred has been instrumental in exchanging information on these species with Russian scientists.
Awards were also given at the Annual Meeting for best poster, best student paper, and best paper. Mary Whalen, Carl Burger, and Leslie Holland-Bartels won the Best Poster Award for their "Evaluation of access-related development impacts on salmonid habitat in the Kenai River, Alaska." Gretchen Bishop, Thomas Shirley, James Taggart, Charles O'Clair, and James Bodkin received the award for Best Student Paper for "A pilot study of the effects of sea otter predation on Dungeness crab: can these species co-exist? Winners of the award for Best Paper were Richard Yanusz and Art Schmidt for "Prospering fish populations: Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout at Lake Eva, Southeast Alaska." Congratulations!
Aquatic Education Pat Holmes, Chair. The committee has met during the Annual Meeting the last 3 years. Our primary focus is to provide a network for members interested in fisheries and aquatic education. A core group has been active in the committee: Pat Holmes, Fritz Kraus, Jon Lyman, Kurt Byers, Belle Michelson, Jeff Adams, and Jeff Booth (recently died in a plane crash). Objectives are 1) to improve networking and communication among fisheries professionals interested in fisheries and aquatic education; 2) assist each other by pooling resources and knowledge; and 3) refine and assist development of fisheries and aquatic education projects that can't be achieved by single individuals or agencies. The committee has compiled a directory of fisheries and aquatic educators and will post it on the Chapter's Internet home page. The committee also worked on "Alaskanizing" the Canadian curriculum Salmon in the Classroom suitable for primary school. The study plan and class aids are available for $15 for interested parties. A middle school edition may be ready in 1996.
Arctic Fish Symposium Alex Wertheimer, Chair. Jim Reynolds (editor) reported a delay in editing the proceedings. The manuscripts were returned to him for further review in January 1995. The National AFS editor has set a deadline of 31 December 1995 for manuscripts to be resubmitted.
Awards Nicole Szarzi, Chair. The committee consists of Nicole Szarzi (Chair), Carol Denton, Kelly Hepler, and Susie McCarron. An important duty is to select the recipient of the Meritorious Service Award (MSA) recognizing excellence in professional performance and recent outstanding contributions to Alaska fisheries. This year, the committee chose Fred DeCicco, and he was presented the award at the Annual Meeting banquet. Two other nominees remain valid for consideration in 1996. The committee also selected the best paper, best student paper, and best poster at the Annual Meeting. Carol Denton and Kelly Hepler could not be present at the meeting, so Larry Winter helped judge oral presentations, and Larry Bartlett, Howard Delo, and Fronte Parker judged posters.
Continuing Education Mike Millard and Jill Follett, Co-Chairs. In 1995, the committee sponsored the workshop Application of Fish Growth Models in Anchorage, October 16-20. The course focused on techniques for fitting growth models to fish data. The workshop was attended by 22 biologists and received a favorable evaluation from all participants. The committee also offered a 1-day workshop by Dr. Carl Walters entitled Assessment and management strategies for fisheries with extreme stock-size assessment errors and high variation in long-term production in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. A workshop on analysis of mark-recapture data is being planned for February 1996 in Anchorage.
Cultural Diversity Judy Gordon, Chair. In 1995, the committee concentrated on its travel awards used to sponsor minorities and women to attend the Annual Meeting. A letter soliciting donations for the awards was sent to 71 companies, organizations, and associations. The committee expresses its gratitude to the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Association and LCL Research Associates, Inc. for their generous contributions. Requests for donations were also submitted to the Western Division and the Equal Opportunity Section of AFS. The committee plans to continue these efforts and is looking for new members to assist in its endeavors. The annual survey of the membership indicated that of the 17 committee chairs and co-chairs, five are women and two are minorities.
Environmental Concerns Rod Simmons and Bill Bechtol, Co-Chairs. After substantial review and modification, the Chapter has advocacy procedures to address how the membership will develop advocacy initiatives such as letters and resolutions. The procedures were published in the fall 1995 Oncorhynchus. This year, no members have approached the committee to request Chapter involvement in a fishery issue. The committee also drafted letters concerning reauthorization of the Clean Water Act and protecting aquatic habitat in the Tongass National Forest (S1054). Committee members are Rod Simmons and Bill Bechtol (Co-Chairs) and Phyllis Weber-Scannel, Eric Knudsen, Cal Casipit, Christopher Estes, and Dave Daum.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium Proceedings Bruce Wright, Chair. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium, held in February 1993, had more than 100 poster and oral sessions, and more than 1,000 attendees. The AFS was a cosponsor and partner in planning and implementing the Symposium and Proceedings. As of September 1995, all 61 manuscripts have been peer reviewed and submitted to AFS National for publishing. The length of the book has increased 50% from what was expected, to about 900 pages. The AFS National Office will publish 4,000 copies about June 1996. The citation will be Rice, S. D., R. B. Spies, D. A. Wolfe, and B. A. Wright (Eds.). 1996. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium Proceedings. American Fisheries Society Symposium Number 18.
Fish Key Bill Wilson, Chair. Our efforts are to produce a Key to the Fishes of Alaska, a major work that was originally prepared over a 30-year period by retired state fish biologist Rae Baxter, now deceased. The committee began working on the project in 1990. At the 1994 Annual Meeting, the EXCOM voiced concerns about the project's financial status, and the 1995 work has been guided by new Chapter policies to address these concerns. The Chapter ceased lending funds to the Fish Key account, and required that $20,000 in receipts be in place before authorizing a new start-up of the project. The committee, therefore, continued fund-raising efforts, and in July 1995 the Chapter was awarded a $150,000 grant from the National Biological Service to complete the production phase. Lyman Thorsteinson passed the committee chair position to Bill Wilson, and the rest of the year was spent developing a cooperative agreement between NBS and the Chapter, and preparing a contract to restart the stalled effort. These efforts are finished, and the contractor has resumed work.
Habitat Restoration Symposium K Koski, Chair. No report. Former editor Sandy Milner moved to Great Britain in September 1995. The EXCOM will meet with K to discuss alternatives for editing the proceedings.
International Relations Vic Starostka, Chair. No report. Vic is presently in Russia.
Membership Steve Klein, Chair. The Chapter has 475 members (481 last year), including 353 active, 59 student, 55 life, and 8 retired members. After the membership directory is updated after the Annual Meeting, the committee will start a membership drive targeting both delinquent members and non-members.
Past Presidents Bill Wilson, Chair. The committee acts in an advisory role to the EXCOM. This past year, the committee discussed several issues facing the Chapter, including advocacy policy, special education speaker presentations at Annual Meetings, and the possibility of the Chapter bidding on hosting the 1997 Annual Meeting of the Western Division. The Committee responded to the EXCOM request to review the Chapter's advocacy procedures. The committee was polled, and comments received were incorporated into a written response to the EXCOM in April 1995. A "Procedures Manual" was prepared and displayed at the Annual Meeting. The past presidents elected Chuck Meacham to be new Chair. The committee urges the Chapter to begin planning for a special Chapter celebration for the Annual Meeting to be held in the year 2000.
Resolutions/Bylaws Dennis Tol, Chair. The Alaska Student Unit proposed by memo to the committee in 1994 that the Chapter Bylaws be amended to adopt the Student Unit as a Chapter Subunit and to seat the Unit's president as a voting member of the EXCOM. Changes to the Chapter Bylaws implementing the proposal were developed and published in Oncorhynchus for comment. The changes were modified and again published in Oncorhynchus for approval. The changes were approved by two-thirds majority vote of those responding and now will be submitted to National AFS for approval. No new resolutions were submitted this year. Current Bylaws will be printed on the Chapter's Internet home page.
Stocks at Risk Alex Wertheimer, Chair. Members: Robert Burkett, Ron Dunlap, Doug Eggers, Ellen Fritts, Tony Gharrett, Rocky Holmes, Alex Wertheimer (Chair), and Dick Wilmot. Tim Baker, Project Manager. In 1993, the Chapter received a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to determine status of salmon and steelhead in Alaska and identify stocks at risk of extinction. The Chapter contracted ADF&G to do the study. The study was limited to Southeast Alaska because of the size of the salmonid resource and limited time and funds. In September 1995, the committee submitted the manuscript Evaluation of escapements of Pacific salmon and steelhead in Southeast Alaska by T. T. Baker et al. to Fisheries for publication. The manuscript is currently in peer review and is slated for the March or April 1996 issue. At the 1995 Chapter Annual Meeting, Tim Baker reviewed study results, and the committee hosted a round-table discussion on where the Chapter should go from here on this issue.
Student Unit Melissa Tendick, President. The Student Unit functions during the academic year from September to April. Members consists of students enrolled at Alaska universities and colleges. Officers during the 1995-96 school year are President Melissa Tendick, Vice President Mike Daigneault, and Secretary-Treasurer Klaus Wuttig. Each year, two socials are held at UAF, one in fall and one in spring, with elections held at the spring social. Other meetings in 1995 included talks by Ray ReLonde from the Marine Advisor Program on shellfish aquaculture, and Robert Tremble from the International Pacific Halibut Commission on the Commission's research and management activities.
Kate Wedemeyer, Past President
As the outgoing Chapter President, I'd like to thank you the members for the privilege of serving as President--and President-Elect, Vice President, and Treasurer--these past 5 years. The experience has given me a profound sense of professional accomplishment to be involved in so much more of fisheries conservation than in my individual job as a fisheries biologist. Between family illness, personal health issues, and job changes, I had less time and energy to spend than I planned. Fortunately, the Chapter depends on the committees, officers, and members all doing their part, not just the President. It takes all of us to make the Chapter and its President successful. With the dedication of the committees, especially, I feel we have made progress toward four important goals:
1) Defining our role in advocating fisheries resources. We agreed that it was not so much what fisheries conservation issues we advocate but how we advocate. That "how" is by providing scientific information. We have found, however, that this takes more time and effort than expressing an opinion and requires more members to get involved.
2) Increasing Chapter diversity. In the past few years, our diversity efforts concentrated on reaching out to students. We need to increase diversity in other ways too. Our Chapter's Strategic Plan calls for us to offer leadership opportunities to members and increase our diversity. I asked each committee chair to recruit one new member and one minority to their committee. I'm glad to say that most committee chairs had already done that. I was also pleased that you members voted to inaugurate the Diversity Travel Award endowment by dedicating last year's raffle proceeds.
3) Completing large Chapter projects. The Chapter has grown from putting on an annual meeting and publishing a quarterly newsletter, to having five major publication projects: the Arctic Fish Symposium Proceedings, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium Proceedings, the Key to the Fishes of Alaska, the Stocks At Risk project, and the Habitat Restoration Symposium Proceedings. This has created growing pains. Each one of these projects has run into a delay or unexpected circumstance, several of them major. As I became president with five large uncompleted projects, I realized that the EXCOM needs guidelines for large projects. I asked several members to develop the guidelines. I found that most of the appropriate persons were involved in one or more of the large projects and stretched too thin to work on the guidelines. Still, we're making progress on the guidelines. Here's an opportunity for those of you who want to help the Chapter.
4) Financial sophistication. When I became treasurer 5 years ago, we had a money flow of less than $25,000 per year and one incomplete endowment, the Noerenberg Award. Since then, our cash flow has grown to over a quarter of a million dollars. We have five ongoing projects, each over $50,000, and two incomplete endowments, the Noerenberg Award and the Diversity Travel Award. This year, we developed more sophisticated accounting and financial procedures and audited one of our accounts. As I developed my first Chapter budget, I emphasized maintaining a prudent reserve to meet our obligations for meetings, continuing education, and publication of our major projects. I came to realize that not only do we need to maintain a prudent reserve, we also need to dedicate money beyond that reserve to work toward our goal of fisheries resource conservation. At this point, I believe we should complete those five projects and two endowments before we take on another project. The EXCOM recently voted to put our excess funds to work. We voted to add $1,500 to complete the Noerenberg endowment, offer a matching grant of $3,500 for funds raised for the Cultural Diversity Travel Award, and establish a contingency fund to complete two proceedings publications.
With your help, the Chapter has made significant progress toward these four goals. In closing, I again thank you for the privilege of serving as President. I look forward to working with you in the future for the conservation of fisheries resources.
Fisheries professionals should be advocates
Good to hear that the Chapter is actively engaged in the issue of advocacy. My thoughts: You can never satisfy every member and those who are uncertain will opt for tabling or further studying the issue. Most often, this means creating an ad hoc committee and researching the issue to death. From my experience, the decisive moment often comes and goes while we are trying to reach consensus. Leaders have to lead; you cannot go to the membership on every issue and seek a vote.
From my experience, two guidelines will keep you on safe ground. One, be professional. Do good science and have the intestinal fortitude to present the findings in plain English so that others, besides your fellow scientists, can understand what you are recommending. Just because folks don't like what you've found doesn't mean that you have to go back to the drawing board and do more research. Stand your ground! There is no one else to do "the good science," and there is no one better to present the findings. This is the exclusive territory of the fisheries biologist, and when we do the job poorly, it just gets done poorly because there isn't anyone else to do the job.
Two, be the champion for the fish and their habitat. Decision makers may not make decisions in favor of fish and habitat, but that is a social and economic process. The only people who can do the science are us, and if we don't speak on behalf of fish and habitat, who will? Not the harvesters. Not the processors. Not the public. Maybe the environmentalists a little and their heart is in the right place, but most of the time their "fuel" is their emotions. Emotions lead to protection rather than management. Good science provides the rationale for good management.
Being on time with the best information (not data, but information that people can understand) is very important. The only way you can win is if you are willing to play. Winning is best, but losing is second, and not playing at all is worst. Fisheries professionals, people who are paid to represent the resource and think about fish and habitat, collectively have the clearest vision of what is coming. If the Chapter can harness this collective brain power, it will always be mostly ready for what is about to happen. No one on either side of any issue is ever completely ready. This is why "best available" are the key words. Good, ontime science is part of the debate-shaping process.
Finally, it is the technical part of us that wants a formula for advocacy. A loose formula is OK, but be on guard of overkill. Advocacy is a philosophy, a conviction, and should be a way of life for us. That is, be willing to stand up and tell what we know about this wonderful fisheries resource and what it takes to manage it in a sustainable manner.
Stan Moberly
Past President
What the Stocks-at-Risk Report means
The Stocks at Risk Committee is winding up its report to be published in the March issue of Fisheries. Many had hoped that the project would provide a definitive analysis of the status of our salmon and steelhead stocks. Its significance, however, may be more in pointing us as a Chapter toward where we go from here. The report does not identify historical extirpations. Rather it analyzes the most well-documented, monitored streams. The committee set extremely high standards for the data used. Consequently, only those stocks most closely monitored by ADF&G are in the database. The study's real value is in demonstrating that we monitor only 10% of our fisheries streams, primarily the larger streams targeted for commercial production. When the report is published, Chapter members should emphasize two things: 1) the 10% closely monitored streams producing large, fishable populations are in relatively good shape; and 2) we cannot extrapolate to the other 90%, most of which support much smaller wild populations.
The Alaska Chapter also needs to develop a strategy on where we go from here. How do we ensure that those healthy stocks remain healthy as Alaska becomes more developed? Where do we go from here to ensure that we monitor streams representative of the other 90%? I have three requests to help answer those questions. First, I request that the Stocks-at-Risk Committee sponsor a session at next year's Annual Meeting to address the question of "Where do we go from here." Second, I request that the rest of us look at how we can develop a plan to monitor a representative sample of small wild populations not represented in the present database. What can you offer in the way of pooling resources? (e.g. can you convince your employer to commit to monitoring one stream in your geographic area?) Third, I request other members to write a letter to the editor of Oncorhynchus suggesting other answers to "Where do we go from here?"
Kate Wedemeyer
Past President
Letters policy: Oncorhynchus welcomes brief letters on issues of concern to Chapter members, reserving the right to edit letters for length and clarity.
The 58th annual meeting of the Pacific Fishery Biologists will be March 18-20, 1996, at Silverdale on the Bay Hotel in Silverdale, Washington. For information, contact Doug Morrill, 2997 Lower Elwha Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98363; (360)457-4012.
Norma Sands of ADF&G in Juneau has agreed to be the new keeper of the Chapter's Internet home page. Norma would appreciate any help or suggestions you could offer. If you have comments or suggestions, call Norma at 465-4256 or e-mail at normas%fishgame@state.ak.us. Check out the home page at http://www.alaska.net/~fishak.
Jill Follett, Co-Chair
The Chapter is sponsoring a 3-day workshop on Mark Recapture Experiments to Estimate the Abundance of Fish on 7-9 February 1996 in Anchorage. The workshop will be taught by Dr. Dave Bernard and Pat Hansen of ADF&G Sport Fish Division. They will emphasize effects of sampling on accuracy of estimates, along with ways to design experiments to avoid bias. The workshop will cover numerous practical examples and exercises from past work on lacustrine, riverine, and migratory fish populations in Alaska. The course was previously offered to ADF&G staff and published in ADF&G's Special Publication No. 92-4. Laptop computers will be used to minimize costs. Class size is limited to 30 persons, so register soon to ensure a place.
Registration fees are $65.00 for AFS members and $75.00 for non-members. The workshop will be held in the Regal Alaskan Hotel on Spenard Road. Lodging rates are $75 (single) and $85 (double) per night. The hotel has a 24-hour health club and shuttles to the airport or downtown. Please book at least 2 weeks before the meeting and indicate you are attending the workshop. Call 800-544-0553 or 243-2300 for reservations.
To register for the workshop or if you have further questions, send e-mail to jillf%fishgame@state.ak.us or send a completed registration form to Jill Follett, ADF&G, 333 Raspberry Rd, Anchorage 99518-1599; 267-2395; fax 267-2462. Also, please indicate if you can bring a laptop computer. A registration acknowledgment will be sent to all participants.
Registration Form
Mark-Recapture Workshop - February 7-9, 1996 in Anchorage
Name: Phone:
Address: Fax: E-mail:
AFS member? (Y or N)
Can bring a laptop computer? (Y or N)
Bill Heard
The NMFS Auke Bay Laboratory announces the availability of gratis copies of "Alaska's Salmon Hatcheries 1891-1959" by Patricia Roppel. Research for this historical account of hatcheries in Alaska before statehood was financed by NMFS and was published in 1982 by the Alaska Historical Commission. Chapter members wanting a copy of this scholarly book should send their full mailing address (preferably cut out and send your Oncorhynchus mailing label) to Paula Johnson, Librarian, Auke Bay Laboratory, 11305 Glacier Hwy, Juneau 99801; e-mail, pjohnson@abl.afsc.noaa.gov. Postage will be paid by the Auke Bay Laboratory.