The Alaska Chapter’s Annual Meeting this year is in Juneau on November 17-20, 1997. Keeping with the meeting’s theme, "From the Mountains to the Sea: Linked Ecosystems," topics will range from the headwaters to the open ocean, including papers ranging from riparian management to herring stock assessment. See the draft agenda below for session topics and moderators.
Tuesday morning we’ll have two featured speakers. Jim Martin, a fisheries biologist with the Oregon Governor’s Office, will discuss the potential listing of Oregon’s coastal coho salmon, how it got that way, and their plan for recovery. Then, Jim Sedell, from the USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station, will talk about trends in woody debris and ecosystem structure and function along the river continuum to the sea. In addition, Fred Everest, the science team leader for the Tongass Land Management Plan revision, has assembled a session to discuss the background, development, and process used for TLMP. Technical sessions include topics from marine ecosystem management to methods for stream habitat surveys. This is your opportunity to learn about fishery management and research throughout the state and the Pacific Northwest.
Pre-registration is encouraged, and a registration form is enclosed for your use. Registration will be available Monday at Centennial Hall after 3:00 pm and at the reception at DIPAC Monday evening. The meeting will open Tuesday morning, and registration will be available at Centennial Hall Tuesday through Thursday. Tuesday evening will feature a tour of the Alaska Brewing Company. Transportation will be provided from Baranof Hotel and Centennial Hall to the reception and brewery. The Banquet will be at the Hangar on the Wharf on Juneau’s waterfront. There will be plenty of time to "network."
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Westmark Baranof Hotel at a special price of $69 per night. Similar rates are available at other hotels. The Westmark Juneau ($79), Driftwood Lodge ($44-84), and Prospector ($59-88) are downtown within walking distance of Centennial Hall. Contact the hotels directly and say you are attending the AFS meeting. Numerous bed and breakfast establishments are also available in the downtown area (Bed and Breakfast Alaska Reservation Service 586-2959). See you in Juneau in November.
By now every fisheries biologist has probably heard that we are into one of the largest El Niño events on record. According to climatological modelers, the present El Niño exceeds anything observed in the past 150 years based on the ENSO (El Niño/Southern Oscillation) Index. The ENSO Index uses the difference in barometric pressure between Tahiti and Darwin, Australia, and is a reliable predictor of eastward water transport across the tropical Pacific Ocean and subsequent anomalously warm water in the eastern Pacific. In extreme years, these warming conditions occur as far north as the Bering Sea (Figure). The present El Niño is associated with an exceptionally high ENSO Index for being early in the cycle, and we are already seeing above- average sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, with anomalies from 3.0 C to 3.5 C above the 1985-93 base period. If the present El Niño follows the trend of the 1982-83 El Niño, we can expect even greater warming next summer.
Just how an El Niño will affect fish and other species is difficult to predict. As in past El Niños, we can expect an influx of southerly and offshore species along the Gulf of Alaska coast. Already, there are reports or rumors of several species not commonly seen. Barracuda were caught by purse seiners off Noyes Island in July. Blue shark, ocean sunfish, pomfret, and saury were observed during research long-lining and surface gillnetting in August off northern Southeast Alaska. There are also unconfirmed reports of albacore and anchovy near Yakutat. Jim Blackburn (ADF&G-Kodiak) has received reports of pelagic longfin armorhead and yellowtail near Kodiak. A report of tuna landed at Kodiak was actually from vessels fishing 1,200 miles south of Kodiak, although an unidentified tuna was found near Yakutat. Some of these fish are definitely farther north than expected, but others like pomfret and saury are common in the central Gulf of Alaska in late summer. During an El Niño, the onshore drift of central Gulf of Alaska water brings these fish closer to shore. Reports of other unusual fishes, turtles, or invertebrates would be appreciated (call Bruce Wing at 789-6043).
How this El Niño will affect commercial fisheries is much more difficult to judge. The warmer temperature may benefit some fisheries but be a detriment to others. Some commercial fishes, especially salmonids, respond to slightly warmer waters in the Gulf of Alaska with increased growth, as happened in 1983, because temperature approaches a physiological optimum. This contrasts with the situation off Washington, Oregon, and northern California where warmer waters are associated with reduced upwelling and subsequently poor foraging. Some fishermen and biologists attribute declines of some salmonid stocks to increased predation by chub mackerel and jack mackerel which have moved north with the warmer water. Winter- spawning species, such as some shrimp and crab that depend on low temperature to reduce predator activity on juveniles, may be adversely affected by warm water conditions.
The warm surface waters in the Gulf of Alaska from the present El Niño at least may be affecting the depth distribution of salmonids. Commercial trollers near Sitka report catching coho salmon at depths usually fished for chinook salmon. Salmon harvests statewide have been disappointing (see article this issue). Western Alaska has been declared a disaster area, and fishing regulations have been tightened in Southeast Alaska to increase coho escapement. Whether these changes in salmon abundance are due to the present El Niño or to harsh winter conditions 2 years ago is not yet clear.
Call For Papers and Session Organizers
The 1998 Western Division AFS Meeting will be in Anchorage in conjunction with the 16th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium on September 30-October 3. The meeting is co-sponsored by the Alaska Chapter, North Pacific International Chapter, and Alaska Sea Grant. The Wakefield Symposium has been sponsored and coordinated annually since 1982 by the Alaska Sea Grant College Program. This symposium attracts an international audience of scientists, primarily from high-latitude countries. The theme of the combined meeting is "Ecosystem Considerations in Fisheries Management."
Abstracts for the Wakefield Symposium, both oral and poster, will be published soon after the symposium. Preparation for publishing the proceedings and the international audience necessitate establishing the program well in advance of the meeting. Therefore, all abstracts must be received before January 15, 1998. Those interested in developing a session should call Bob Bilby (253-924-6557) before November 15, 1997.
Abstracts must include brief title in upper/lower case type; author(s) names, affiliation, mailing address, phone, fax, and e-mail address; abstract text not to exceed 300 words; and whether the presentation is oral or poster. Abstracts for the Wakefield session (which requires a manuscript) should be submitted by e-mail (as part of message, not as attachment) to FNBRB@uaf.edu, or if no e-mail, submit hard and electronic copies to Brenda Baxter, Coordinator, Alaska Sea Grant Program, UAF, P.O. Box 755040, Fairbanks 99775-5040 (Phone: 474-6701.) Abstracts intended for sessions other than the Wakefield Symposium should be e-mailed to bilbyb@wdni.com, or hard and electronic copies sent to Bob Bilby, Weyerhaeuser Co., WTC 1A5, Tacoma, WA 98477-0001.
Herman Savikko, ADF&G
Early estimates of the statewide salmon catch show about 116 million salmon taken over the season. This is only 68% of the forecast and the smallest harvest since 1988. It is well below the recent 5-year average catch of 184 million salmon. Final value to fishermen this season should be $245-275 million, or about $100 million less than in 1996. While fishermen throughout the state experienced below-average harvests, western Alaska was hardest hit, and Governor Tony Knowles declared that region a disaster area in August to begin providing needed relief.
The season opened favorably in mid-May with the first period of the Copper River sockeye fishery. Catch and run strength for that date were the largest on record. Strong returns brought lower prices, however, and as the season developed statewide, this was only the beginning of bad news for fishermen. When the last of the gear was pulled from the water, nearly all other salmon fisheries in the state failed to meet expectations. This season, major run failures or disappointing catch occurred for sockeye in Bristol Bay and for pink salmon in Southeast, Prince William Sound, Kodiak, and the Alaska Peninsula. Chum returns to the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Region from a weak parent-year escapement in 1993 were even poorer than anticipated. Southeast’s early returning chum stocks also failed to materialize. Coho harvest to date statewide is only 2 million fish, compared to the projected 6.7 million, prompting ADF&G to close some areas to sportfishing and cut bag limits.
Although the causes of the poor returns remain largely unknown, high ocean water temperature, low water levels, and extremely cold winter weather with little insulating snow cover probably played roles in reducing both freshwater and marine survival. ADF&G plans to present more results of the 1997 salmon season at the Chapter Annual Meeting in Juneau.
Peggy Merritt, President
The Monterey meeting was great! The theme of the 127th Annual Meeting of AFS was Fisheries at Interfaces: Habitats, Disciplines, Cultures. This year’s meeting was the largest ever, with about 2,000 people attending. There were over 40 symposia, 325 contributed papers, and 110 posters. The best part was the reception at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where AFS had the whole place to ourselves with as much calamari, shrimp, and other delectable foods as you could eat.
The Plenary session was highlighted by Roy Hemmingway, a lawyer with the Oregon Governor’s Office, who gave a sometimes humorous message about communicating scientific information to non-scientists. He said that the political process tends not to believe scientists because: 1) Scientific conclusions change over time, therefore demonstrating science’s fallibility and unreliability for decision-making. Not too long ago, for example, the biologist’s recommendation was to pull wood out of streams; now, scientists are asking for millions of dollars to put wood back in. 2) Scientists have no constituency. Truth is only one of the currencies in the political process and by itself it’s not enough--truth needs to be packaged as an effective message. 3) Political decision-making fails to understand probability and risk. Perception is reality, and that is where the attention goes. 4) Many scientific issues take time to judge, and political decision-makers just don’t have time to consider all ramifications of scientific issues. 5) Scientists are perceived as feathering their own nest when asking for funds.
Mr. Hemmingway offered some suggestions to assist scientists in communicating with non-scientists: 1) Present scientific finds as new information, not as certainty; 2) Base recommendations on the evidence, not on personal judgment or philosophy; 3) Acquaint decision-makers with the degrees of confidence in probability and risk; 4) Translate your words-- do not use words such as heuristic, stochastic, or metapopulation; 5) Remember that science is competing with other points of view--don’t expect political decision-makers to be able to distinguish good science from bad; and 6) Admit when science is wrong.
Rolly Schmitten, Director of NMFS, gave the talk "Sustainable marine fisheries means interfacing fish and habitat--the new wave in fish management." He emphasized that AFS has played a major role in working with NMFS in developing the NMFS National Habitat Plan. As part of the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS will engage in 93 new activities to ensure, among other objectives, that overfished stocks are rebuilt in 10 years. Other highlights of his talk included that the world fishing fleet is operating at a substantial loss and is continuing to operate on subsidies. The world’s bycatch is 28 million metric tons, of which 27 million is discarded--this waste has become unacceptable. Controlling bycatch will be the next millennium’s challenge. To hear that fishery biologists are making a difference was encouraging. Sea turtles, gray whales, and striped sea bass are recovering. In fact, sardines are increasing, and a sardine cannery has opened on the West Coast for the first time in 30 years.
Following are some highlights of symposia I attended:
Human Interactions with Aquatic Organisms-Philosophy, Values: Bob Gresswell talked about the Yellowstone cutthroat trout management strategy, which reduces harvest while increasing nonconsumptive uses such as fish-watching. There is increasing existence demand, by which the public places value on just knowing the fish exist. A. de Leeuw gave a controversial talk, "Must anglers justify their sport?," claiming that it is the expression of pain and suffering for which game fish are valued that is the core of all angling. Angling, therefore, requires two justifications: one for killing; and a second for causing avoidable pain and suffering. M. Bennett, a biomedical ethicist, talked about moral theories and concepts, and how to adjust these approaches to different species, especially for those persons who must make practical decisions about scientific and environmental policy. J. Callicott, philosopher, said that human values are set in the larger context of human beliefs, and the myth of value-free science has been debunked. He theorized about the conscious experience of pain in non-humans, questioning the transfer of human beliefs to non-humans. For example, some believe that animals without language have no consciousness of pain in the same sense as humans. He stated that our membership in a biotic community engenders moral obligations to members of that community.
Wallop-Breaux (WB) Funds: N. Prosser reminded the audience that the success of the WB program depends on the industry’s willingness to pay excise tax on its products. Fishery professionals must recognize this economic sacrifice of industry and their interest in building the sportfishing consumer base. Changes may occur in the program if fishing participation declines. Alaska’s Limited Entry Programs: J. DiCosimo listed 10 problems that IFQs could address, including allocation and gear conflicts, deadloss, bycatch loss, excess harvesting capacity, safety, product quality, and economic stability. She gave an update on the results of the halibut and sablefish IFQ programs in Alaska.
New Perspectives in Fish Ecology and Management: C. Luecke predicted lake trout growth using a spatially explicit foraging and bioenergetics model. Using hydroacoustics to determine prey biomass, lake trout growth was predicted to decline, and field sampling validated the model. Data on forage fish abundance and lake trout growth and density can be used to formulate harvest regulations. S. Brandt spoke about spatial modeling--why fish are where they are and what are the consequences in growth, competition, and predator-prey interactions? He combined acoustics (used to measure forage fish), bioenergetics, foraging models, and spatial modeling to examine effects of spatial complexity on fishes. Growth rates were found to be sensitive to prey distribution relative to water temperature, and production can vary markedly across habitats with similar prey abundances. F. Rahel explained the use of GIS to identify patterns in fish distribution and abundance, and make predictions about these patterns under changing habitat conditions.
Achieving Healthy Pacific Salmon Populations: Eric Knudsen organized this dynamic symposium to introduce alternatives to traditional escapement management techniques. He spoke about the hierarchical definition of salmon units and the need for new methods of estimating optimal numbers and biodiversity for each ecosystem. R. Beamish gave a fascinating talk about climate-ocean shifts and their impacts on Pacific salmon trends. He pointed out that rotation of the earth’s mantle crust aligns with fish production on a decadal scale. B. Bilby suggested a method of setting escapement goals considering spawner densities correlated with marine-derived nitrogen in juveniles--a productivity-based approach. M. Adkison advocated setting risk-averse escapement goals and outlined sources of uncertainty. He presented formal methods for quantitatively choosing a risk-averse escapement goal.
Broadscale Fisheries Assessments: F. Everest gave an overview of the Tongass Land Management Plan and the process of interfacing science and policy. Options and risks to society and the resource were evaluated in an adaptive decision-making approach. The result of the process is an overall goal of protecting and maintaining riparian and aquatic habitats while still allowing development of timber harvests. If you are interested in finding out more about the Monterey meeting, the paper and poster abstracts can be accessed at the AFS homepage, http://www.esd.ornl.gov:80/societies/AFS/.
Peggy Merritt, President
Two major issues at the annual Business Meeting were the election of the new Western Division vice president (Ken Hashagen) and secretary-treasurer (David Drake), and the question of governance. Regarding the election, a bulk mailing permit was used to save money; however, this resulted in many members not receiving a ballot until after the deadline. The effect of this error was moot, however, since only one candidate could be found to run for each office. The troubles associated with this election underscore a wake-up call to Western Division members that we need more volunteerism. Both individuals elected are with Cal-Neva Chapter, which narrows the representation of various chapters’ interests. A task force has been created to review AFS governance and recommend ways to address issues and problems of equity in unit representation and voting on the national Governing Board.
Currently, the Western Division (which includes the Alaska Chapter) represents 35% of AFS membership at the National AFS Board; however, the Division has only one vote. Percentage membership of the other divisions are Southern 21%, Northcentral 18%, and Northeastern 11%. Sections also have one vote each. The four largest sections are Fisheries Management 10%, Fish Culture 6%, Computer Users 5%, and Fish Health 5%. Certain interests could possibly become members of sections and overwhelm the voice of the largest percentage of membership. Tom Nesler is in charge of the Task Force and would like to hear from Western Division members. Contact him directly at tom.nesler@state.co.us or 970-484-2836 ext 357.
Colorado State University is requesting donations of back issues of journals and books to replace the science collection destroyed by a flood at Morgan Library. Some 500,000 books were damaged. If you are interested in helping, contact Dean Camila Alire, Morgan Library, CSU, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
The Watersheds ‘97 conference will take place at the Egan Center in Anchorage, October 26-31, 1997. The conference focuses on watershed issues and opportunities specific to Alaska. Over the past 2 years, a diverse group from government, nonprofit organizations, industry, academia, as well as individual Alaskans have been working to develop a statewide framework for watershed efforts. The framework is now in draft form, and the work group has decided to produce the Watersheds ‘97 conference. Numerous diverse activities are planned, including a 5- km walk, run, and ski through Anchorage’s prime watersheds; a 2-day conference providing the latest information for working on watershed issues; and the Cook Inlet Symposium on the area’s watersheds. Call Gregory Kellogg--EPA, Conference Coordinator; at 271-6328 or e-mail kellogg.greg@epamail.epa.gov.
Former Alaska Chapter member Carl Burger has been elected to Vice President of National AFS. Congratulations and best of luck in your new office!
Dana Schmidt, Past President
If the State of Alaska retirement system is willing, I plan to take a new position in Castlegar, British Columbia. I have been blessed with having the opportunity to spend the highlight of my career working on fisheries throughout Alaska. My first exposure to both Alaska fisheries and AFS began with radio-tracking king salmon with the USFWS on the Kenai River in 1980 under the direction of my good friend and newly elected Vice-President of AFS, Carl Burger. From this initial opportunity, I have been fortunate to work for private companies on the Susitna River and all fisheries divisions of ADF&G. I have had the opportunity to work on arctic grayling in the interior and red king crab in the Bering Sea, along with most species in between. The Chapter gave me the opportunity to learn from many of you and to experience the trials and tribulations of Alaska’s developing fisheries management.
My recent experience at our sister chapter’s (NPIC) annual meeting in Washington gave a clear signal of why eternal vigilance is needed to maintain Alaska’s resources. When 24 sockeye salmon returning to Redfish Lake is considered a success, we should be humble before considering 15 million returning to Bristol Bay a failure. More important, all of you should be grateful to have the opportunity to study and learn about some of the world’s few intact wild fisheries stocks. I know that I have benefited personally over the past 17 years by having this opportunity and hope some of my work will contribute to sustaining these resources into the future.
If I can give any advice from my experiences, it would be to let science be your guide, develop a thick skin, and have the willingness to say "No" when, in your best judgment, the data demand this answer. Individuals with this trait may never be elected to public office, but if such an attitude is combined with professional competence, these biologists are the secret heroes that the rest of us admire. Don’t expect immediate personal rewards for such actions because, in the short run, such answers often result in personal sacrifice and career detours. I look forward to my new opportunity in British Columbia and hope I can share with our neighbors to the south a little of what I’ve learned from all of you. Thanks to all of you for your friendship and assistance over the years, and I am certain that AFS will be a common meeting place for us far into the future. --Dana
Allen Bingham, Treasurer
The 1997 annual meeting of the Alaska Chapter of the American Statistical Association (Alaska ASA) was held July 31-August 1 at Chena Hotsprings Resort. The featured speaker was Dale Zimmerman, University of Iowa, who gave two presentations: 1) Variance-Covariance Structures for Longitudinal and Spatial Data; and 2) Analysis of Spatial Point Patterns. Technical talks by chapter members were also presented.
Next year, Alaska ASA’s annual meeting will by held in Anchorage, tentatively August 19-21. The featured speaker will be Dr. Dallas Johnson of Kansas State University, who is best known for coauthoring a book series on analysis of "messy data." Contact the meeting chair Mark Udevitz at 786-3365 or e-mail at Mark_Udevitz@nbs.gov for further information.
Bruce Wright
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council will hold its 1998 Restoration Workshop in January with the focus on "Long-term Monitoring and Ecosystem Management." This annual review of research, monitoring, and restoration projects will be held January 28-29 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. The workshop will include short updates on the Trustee Council’s three major ecosystem projects, as well as a dozen or more presentations on individual projects. The 2-day workshop will be preceded by day-long reviews of each of the three major ecosystem projects. These reviews will also be at the Captain Cook, and they are open to everyone. Reviews will be for the Sound Ecosystem Assessment (SEA) project on Monday, January 25; the Nearshore Vertebrate Predator (NVP) project on Tuesday; January 26; and the Alaska Predator Ecosystem Experiment (APEX) project on Wednesday, January 27. For more information on the workshop, contact Stan Senner, Science Coordinator for the EVOS Trustee Council at 278-8012 or stans@oilspill.state.ak.us.
Peggy Merritt, President
The AFS National meeting in 2001 will be in Phoenix, Arizona, not Anchorage. We appreciate all those who offered to help with the meeting if it were in Anchorage, and encourage people now to turn their time and enthusiasm to helping out at the 1998 Western Division meeting.
In case you missed it, the Chapter-sponsored Proceedings of the Fish Ecology in Arctic North America Symposium (AFS Symposium 19, J. B. Reynolds, ed.) is now available. The 1992 symposium summarizes current knowledge of biology and ecology of freshwater, anadromous, and marine fishes and invertebrates in arctic and subarctic North America. This 345-page book with 34 peer-reviewed papers relevant to management and science will be a valuable reference for years to come. The book costs $59 for AFS members and can be ordered from the AFS publications office by calling 412-741-5700.
Joe Sullivan, Cultural Diversity Committee
As announced in the last Oncorhynchus, a $350 award is available to cover travel expenses to this year’s Chapter Annual Meeting in Juneau. This award is meant to encourage participation of women and minorities in the fisheries profession, AFS, and our Alaska Chapter in particular. Award recipients must be female or members of a recognized minority group, reside greater than 50 miles from the meeting site (or not connected by road), be a current AFS member, and be in academic standing or in a fisheries-related occupation. No applications were received by the September 1 deadline announced earlier. Therefore, the deadline has been extended to October 24, 1997, for receipt of applications. Application forms can be downloaded downloaded from the Chapter's homepage at http://www.alaska.net/~fishak or obtained from Joe Sullivan, ADF&G, 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage 99518-1599 (phone 267-2213, fax 267-2464, e-mail JoeS@fishgame.state.ak.us).
Oncorhynchus welcomes brief letters on topics of interest to Chapter members, reserving the right to edit letters for length and clarity.
The candidates for Chapter office this year are William (Bill) Bechtol and Eric Knudsen for Vice President and David Wiswar for Secretary. All ballots must be original Oncorhynchus newsletter ballots. No photocopies allowed. So find your hard copy of the newsletter, fill in your ballot, and mail to the address indicated on the ballot.
William (Bill) Bechtol
Bill Bechtol developed a keen awareness of our natural resources while growing up in the mountains of northern New Mexico and in the Pacific Northwest. After obtaining a BS in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington in 1979, Bill moved to Alaska where he worked first with the Fisheries Research Institute in Bristol Bay, and then in a variety of jobs, including on a crab processor and two winters commercial fishing. Bill's career with ADF&G began in 1980 on salmon egg-take and tag-recovery crews in Prince William Sound. During 1981-1989, Bill worked out of Homer with salmon production, focusing on lake stocking and freshwater production. In 1989, he became the Central Groundfish Biologist, with responsibilities for commercial groundfish fishing in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. In 1990, he obtained an MS in Fisheries Science from the University of Alaska on the foraging ecology of juvenile sockeye in Leisure Lake near Homer. In 1996, Bill assumed his current position as the Research Project Leader in Homer with oversight of stock assessment and forecasting for commercial salmon and herring runs in Lower Cook Inlet and shellfish and groundfish of the northern Gulf of Alaska. Receiving the ADF&G Meritorious Service Award in 1986, he was also recognized as a Certified Fisheries Scientist by AFS in 1996. Bill currently serves as a member of the Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Plan Team for the NPFMC and has been a frequent contributor to meetings of the Alaska Board of Fisheries, as well as Alaska Chapter meetings and Lowell Wakefield and other symposia.
An active member of AFS since 1981, Bill has served on several Chapter committees, including Local Arrangements Chair for the 1990 meeting in Homer. He was Chapter Secretary/Treasurer during 1992-1994, a period of rapid Chapter financial growth. Bill currently chairs the Environmental Concerns Committee and is on the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee. Bill’s wide breadth of experience has increased his awareness that aquatic resources are finite and the issues are complex. He believes that AFS, by virtue of the diversity and professionalism of its membership, is uniquely qualified to serve as a medium for the exchange of science-based management ideas for aquatic resources.
Eric Knudsen
Eric received his BS in Fisheries Science from the University of Massachusetts in 1974; MS in Fisheries Science from Louisiana State University in 1976; and PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Louisiana State University in 1990. Eric began his professional career in 1976 with the USFWS in Olympia, Washington, where he gained 12 years experience in restoration and management of Pacific salmon stocks, primarily in the Puget Sound and coastal Washington areas. He has 9 years of fisheries research experience. At LSU, he led a research team investigating effects of water control structures on estuarine-dependent fisheries species. In 1994, Eric was appointed to the position of Fisheries Research Team Leader at the USGS-BRD Alaska Science Center in Anchorage where he heads a team investigating Pacific salmon ecology, population dynamics, and human impacts. Current team research topics include Yukon River chum salmon freshwater ecology and productivity, Southwest Alaska rainbow trout population ecology, biological colonization processes of coastal Alaska streams, and new technology for Pacific salmon escapement management. Eric is the senior editor for the proceedings of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Conference containing 40 peer-reviewed papers scheduled for publication in early 1998.
Eric has been an AFS member and active participant since 1971. He has been a member of the Louisiana, North Pacific International, and Alaska Chapters. He has served on meeting program committees at the Chapter, Division, and National levels, often organizing symposia for the meetings and presenting many papers over the years. Eric was the Louisiana Chapter’s Secretary/Treasurer/Newsletter Editor for 2 years and chaired the Chapter’s Annual Meeting Program Committee in 1984. He was on that Chapter’s Resolutions and Environmental Concerns committees. Eric has been a member of the Fisheries Management and Computer User Sections and the Alaska Chapter’s Environmental Concerns Committee. Eric has volunteered to serve on the Program Committee for the 1998 joint Alaska Chapter, NPIC, and Western Division meeting in Anchorage.
Eric believes AFS provides an excellent forum to foster cooperative communication among fishery professionals from the diverse agencies and interest groups involved in fisheries management, research, and harvest. The key to Chapter success is strong membership and active committees. The Chapter will remain vibrant and attract new members by ensuring an excellent and diverse Annual Meeting agenda. Eric will work to build a strong and active committee structure by recruiting additional members. Because of the numerous threats to Alaska fisheries and the marine and aquatic ecosystems supporting those resources, Eric believes AFS and the Chapter should advocate healthy fisheries and aquatic communities, but always based on the best available science and only after following the Chapter’s advocacy procedures.
David Wiswar
David Wiswar has been employed as a fishery biologist with the USFWS Fishery Resource Office in Fairbanks since 1983. He is currently involved in salmon escapement projects in the Yukon River drainage. David also serves on the technical review panel for restoration and enhancement funds connected with the Yukon River Treaty negotiations. Other work with the USFWS included 9 years on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge conducting fisheries investigations and seabird feeding ecology studies in the western Gulf of Alaska. David has also been employed with ADF&G, which included work in salmon escapement and lake productivity studies and with the USFS in Oregon conducting fish habitat inventories. David received a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1975. He has since pursued additional course work at Oregon State University and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
David has been a member of AFS since 1984 and has presented papers at several Chapter meetings and at the Northeast Pacific Pink and Chum Salmon Workshop. While serving with the Continuing Education Committee, David organized a technical workshop in radio telemetry in Fairbanks. David is currently serving as the Alaska Chapter secretary, a position he volunteered to fill last February when duties of the Secretary-Treasurer were split into two separate offices, pending change in Chapter Bylaws. He saw the vacancy as an opportunity to step forward in his level of commitment to the Chapter and would like to continue his participation in that capacity.
Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer position have increased to the point where the workload is too much for one person. The EXCOM has proposed splitting the duties into two separate elected positions--a Secretary and a Treasurer--thereby increasing the voting members of the EXCOM by one. Creating a new Chapter office requires a revision of the Chapter Bylaws. The wording for any Bylaws change must be distributed in writing at least 30 days before a membership vote. The proposed changes were included in the last issue of Oncorhynchus and they are reproduced again below. Please contact any Executive Committee member if you need a full copy of the existing Bylaws. Please use the combined ballot (with the Chapter Officer Ballot) printed in the newsletter to place your vote.
In the following, text to be added is in bracketed all capitals, and text to be deleted is underlined.
The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, President-Elect, First Vice- President, [TREASURER,] and a Secretary-Treasurer. Officers shall be elected from ballots presented in the Chapter newsletter, Oncorhynchus. The term[S] of the Secretary- Treasurer [AND SECRETARY ]shall be two years[, WITH THE TREASURER’S ELECTION OCCURRING ON EVEN NUMBERED YEARS AND THE SECRETARY’S ELECTION OCCURRING ON ODD NUMBERED YEARS].
The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the official records of the Chapter; submit a copy of the minutes of the annual business meeting to the Executive Director of the Society within 30 days after said meeting; collect and be custodian of Chapter funds; disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Committee or membership; submit a record of receipts and disbursements at the annual Chapter meeting; and discharge other duties that may be required by the Executive Director of the American Fisheries Society and officers of the Western Division. [THE SECRETARY SHALL KEEP THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE CHAPTER; SUBMIT A COPY OF THE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOCIETY WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER SAID MEETING; AND DISCHARGE OTHER DUTIES THAT MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY AND OFFICERS OF THE WESTERN DIVISION.]