About the AIC...

Interest in forming an AFS Chapter including Maritime Canada and northern New England began to appear as early as 30 years ago (1969). At that time, Colin E. Wykes, Biologist with Maritimes Resource and Development Branch, wrote Dr. Robert F. Hutton, Executive Secretary for the parent Society, asking for advice and information on possible formation of a Maritimes Region Chapter of AFS. Dr. Hutton provided the information, but the matter was apparently not pursued further at that time.

Further interest was generated at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Division held at Ellenville, New York, in 1972. At this meeting, then-President Kendall Warner urged expansion of the Chapter concept and proposed formation of a "Northern New England and Maritime Canada" Chapter to establish closer working relationships in areas with similar fisheries interests.

In late 1974, correspondence between T. L. (Larry) Marshall and W. C. (Bill) Hooper rekindled interest in formation of a "Maritime" Chapter, resulting in a draft letter and questionnaire for use in polling fisheries workers in the proposed Chapter area.

The questionnaire and letter of explanation was sent to interested fisheries workers in states and provinces in the proposed Chapter area on January 8, 1975 by the "Chapter Formation Committee", consisting of Larry Marshall (NS), Bill Hooper (NB), Angelo Incerpi (VT), Al Meister (ME), John Ritter (NS), George Robbins (NS), and Bert Tetreault (P.Q.). The result was overwhelmingly favorable, with 90% of the respondents favoring formation of the "Atlantic International Chapter" of AFS. The Chapter area included the Provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec (east of Three Rivers), Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island; and the States of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The expressed purpose of the Chapter was "to foster communication through total participation (workshop approach) and to exchange applied information and techniques, as well as theory, on fisheries management and culture within the Chapter area". Proposed Chapter By-Laws were approved by the Parent Society Executive Committee on March 17, 1975, and a petition requesting Chapter formation was approved by AFS. at the annual Business Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on-September 12, 1975.

The First Annual Meeting was held at Biological Station, St. Andrews, N.B. on November 11-13, 1975. Theme was "Fisheries Management in the Atlantic Region". At the Business Meeting in November, proposed by-laws were adopted, and it was voted to hold regular meetings annually. A total of 89 persons registered. AFS President Cameron Stevenson was Keynote Speaker.

The Second Annual Meeting was held at Bangor, Maine, December 5-7, 1976. Theme was "Ecosystem Management". Sessions were held on Ecosystem Management and Aquaculture, Habitat Protection and Management of Aquatic Environments, and Ecosystem Management and Marine Fisheries. Banquet speaker was AFS President Henry Regier.

Bangor, Maine. 1976. Left to Right : Chuck Ritzi, Bill Hooper, Angie Incerpi, Dick Hatch, unknown.


"Biological Basis for Fisheries Management with Emphasis on Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon" was the theme for the Third Annual Meeting held at Fredericton, N.B., December 4-7, 1977. Sessions were held on Brook Trout-Hatchery Stocks, and Wild Stocks; Atlantic Salmon-Hatchery Stocks and Wild Stocks; and Marine Fisheries (General).

On October 4-6, 1978, the Fourth Annual Meeting was held at Fredericton, N.B. This was a joint meeting between the AIC and Coldwater Workshop of the Northeastern Division, with a theme of "Socio-Economic Evaluation in Fisheries Management". Sessions were held on: Economic Evaluation in Recreational Fisheries; Measuring Performance of Government Fisheries Agencies; Socio-economic Problems of Recreational Fisheries; Economics of Commercial Fisheries; and Socio-economic and Political Problems resolved by Fisheries Agencies in the Northeast. Registration was 71 people.

The Fifth Annual Meeting of AIC was held at Bangor, Maine on September 23-25, 1979. "Use Restrictions as a Management Tool" was the theme of a one-half day session on September 24, while contributed papers on various subjects were presented on September 23.

The 1980 Coldwater Workshop of the Northeastern Division was hosted by the AIC (Sixth Annual Meeting) at South Casco, Maine, on October 1-3, 1980. The theme was "Lake Trout Management", and 52 people were in attendance. Fruitful discussions were held on the following Workshop topics: Wild Populations; Natural and Artificial Spawning Areas; Hatchery Maintenance Stocking; Population Dynamics; and Regulations.

The Seventh Annual Meeting was held at the Duchesnay Forestry Station, Duchesnay, P.Q. on September 13-15, 1981. The theme of the meeting was "Fishery Evaluation through Creel Census". A morning of contributed papers, an afternoon of three concurrent Workshops, and general discussion provided the format for addressing the theme. A committee was appointed to study the possibility of putting together a handbook on standardized creel census methods. The "first-ever" AIC Newsletter was issued in June, 1981.

Duchesnay Forestry Station, Duchesnay, Quebec. 1981. Left to Right : Charlie Thoits, Dennis McNeish, Peter Cronin, Paul Johnson.


Black Bass Management" was the theme of the Eighth Annual Meeting held at Tall Timber Lodge, Pittsburg, New Hampshire, on October 4-6, 1982. Morning session on Tuesday was contributed papers on bass management, followed by afternoon concurrent workshops (continued Wednesday morning) on: "Trends in Demand for Bass Fishing"; "Interaction Between Bass and Salmonids"; and "Regulations for Bass Fishing". Newsletter Editor Nicole Berube was congratulated on her work in producing two Chapter Newsletters during the past year.

The Ninth Annual Meeting was held at Fundy National Park, Alma, New Brunswick, on September 11-13, 1983. Theme of the meeting was "River-Stream Management". Contributed papers were presented on Monday morning and afternoon, and contributed papers and a panel discussion were held on Tuesday morning. A field trip was made to the Big Salmon River on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tenth Annual Meeting of the Atlantic International chapter, AFS was held at Leen's Lodge, Grand Lake Stream, Maine, on September 23-25, 1984. The theme was "Landlocked Salmon Management". An informal session was held on Sunday evening. Monday sessions included: Salmon Management Case Histories, Salmon Regulations and Salmon Enhancement and Stocking. Hatchery Management Techniques was the subject of the Tuesday morning session. For the Tenth Annual Meeting of AIC at Grand Lake Stream, Maine in 1984, Ken Warner (AFS-AIC Archives Chair) compiled and presented a 10-year history of the Chapter from its formation in 1975 to 1984. It would be remiss, however, not to acknowledge the "behind the scenes" support and encouragement given by Paul Ruggles, former Chief of the Resource and Development Branch (DFO, NS) and Dick Cutting (DFO, NS) in launching the Atlantic International Chapter, American Fisheries Society. The meeting was highlighted by Stan Leen's pig roast and "grand lakers".

Leen's Lodge, Grand Lake Stream, Maine. 1984. Left to Right : Peter Borque, Owen Fenderson, unknown, Dave Basley, Ken Warner, unknown, Keith Havey, Ken Beland, Dennis McNeish.


The Eleventh Annual Meeting was held at Jay Peak Ski Resort, Jay, Vermont on September 22-24, 1985. The theme of the meeting was "Fishery Management Techniques and Methods". An informal session was held on Sunday evening. Sessions on Monday included: Population Distribution and Assessments and Tools and Techniques. Tuesday morning's session was entitled: "The Syn Session --- Systems, Symptoms, and Synthesis".

Jay Peak Resort, Jay, Vermont. 1985. Left to Right : Angie Incerpi, Norm Dube, Fred Kirchies, Len Gerardi, Steve Ridout


Cheribourg Auberge, Mont Orford, Magog, Quebec was the location of the Twelfth Annual Meeting on September 21-23, 1986. "Management of Introduced Fishes" was the theme of the meeting. Informal sessions were held on Sunday evening. Sessions on Monday included Species Distribution, Policy and Regulation, and a Panel Discussion. Tuesday morning's session was concerned with Social and Biological Aspects of species introductions.

The Thirteenth Annual Meeting was held at White Point Beach Lodge, Hunt's Point, Nova Scotia on September 20-22, 1987. The theme was "Resource Allocation - Dividing habitat, opportunity and harvest among competing interests". Sunday night featured the usual informative session. On Monday, sessions were held on Sport and Commercial Fisheries and Allocating Habitat. Keynote Speaker was Karl Laubsten Director of the Resource Allocation Branch, Atlantic Fisheries Service. He spoke on "Resource allocation in Canadian fisheires management: current Fisheries and Oceans practices and problems." Sessions on Tuesday morning were concerned with Winter and Summer Fisheries and Fishing opportunity. Paul Johnson (ME) resigned as VP on May 18, 1988 and was replaced by Peter Amiro (NS).

The Oakland House in Sargentville, Maine, was the location of the Fourteenth Annual Meeting on September 18-20, 1988. The theme was "Aquatic Habitat Management". The Sunday evening session featured a premier presentation of "the AFS Atlantic International Chapter Blues" written and performed by Yves Mailhot. Informative video selections were also presented. Sessions on Monday included Habitat Assessment, and the St. John River: a Multi-faceted Fisheries Resource. The latter session included modules on the Angling Public, the Fishery Manager, Biological Implications of Management Practices, and a Panel Discussion and Questions. Transcripts of the discussion were published by AIC. Tuesday morning featured Open Topics, Habitat Enhancement and Restoration, and Mitigation.

The Fifteenth Annual Meeting was held at Tall Timbers Lodge, Pittsburg, New Hampshire on September 24-26, 1989. Discussions centered around Fisheries Regulations and the rising interest in smallmouth bass tournament angling and management.

The Sixteenth Annual Meeting (1990) was held at Pond's Chalet Resort on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick. Peter Cronin and the rest of the local arrangements committee did an outstanding job of hosting the meeting. Sessions on habitat enhancement and public involvement were the main focus of the program. Presentations ranging from habitat improvement activities in NB to the angler diary program on Great Bear Lake kept interest high. John O'Brian, President of NED attended and addresses the membership. He focused on more cooperation between the Division and Chapters.

The Seventeenth Annual Meeting (1991) was held at the Tyler Place Lodge in Highgate Springs, VT on the shore of Lake Champlain. About 45 people attended for an excellent array of papers, good food and more. The first session dealt with the control on unwanted species (plants and animals) and was followed by a lively panel discussion of citizen participation in fisheries management. The last session covered smallmouth bass management. AFS executive director, Paul Brouha, attended and addressed members about parent society happenings. NED president-elect, Ken Beal, also attended and addressed members about Division concerns. A major event was realized when the AIC was selected as the "Outstanding Chapter" in the NED.

The Eighteenth Annual Meeting (1992) was held at the Auberge Godefroy Resort in St. Grégorie, Québec. About 60 people attended the conference where computer techniques, stocking programs, and fish culture were featured topics. A field trip to Pierre Magnan's new laboratory was a highlight of the meeting.

The Nineteenth Annual Meeting (1993) was attended by about 50 folks at the Rangeley Inn, in Rangeley, Maine. NED president, Carolyn Griswold addressed the meeting about Division issues. The theme, "Fishing's Gone to Hell--Perceptions of Fisheries Management" elicited lively discussion during the panel discussion and presented papers.

Rangeley Inn, Rangeley, Maine. 1993. Left to Right : Scott Decker, Nancy Adams, Joan Trial, Rod Wentworth, Phil Downey.


The Twentieth Annual Meeting (1994) was held in conjunction with the AFS Annual Meeting in Halifax, NS. In fact, the AIC was the official Host Chapter for the national meeting. There were no separate technical papers associated with the AIC meeting and only about 20 people attended the business meeting. The Halifax meeting, however, was a rousing success and enjoyed by all.

The Twenty First Annual Meeting (1995) was held at the Town and Country Motor Inn in Shelburne, NH. The informal Sunday evening session included several talks on marine aquaculture. Formal presentations on Mon. and Tues. covered fisheries surveys, endangered species issues and riverine habitat survey techniques. Computer demonstrations of GIS technology were a highlight of the meeting. NED President-elect, Henry Booke, addressed the chapter about division issues and Maine's Deputy Commissioner, Matt Scott, spoke about Maine's quality fisheries initiatives.

Town & Country Motor Inn, Shelburne, New Hampshire. 1995. Left to Right : Duncan McInnis, Melissa Evers, Joan Trial, Scott Decker


The Twenty Second Annual Meeting (1996) convened at the Best Western Mactaquac Inn in Fredericton, NB. A large and lively group participated in discussions about how forestry and fisheries interrelate and a field trip to the Mactaquac Dam fish lift. An array of papers on a variety of fish species and fisheries issues rounded out the conference.

The Chapter hosted the Northeastern Division's 1997 Coldwater Workshop on lake trout in Jay, VT concurrent with the Twenty Third Annual Meeting (1997). Vermont's tremendous scenery and JayPeak Resort's exceptional meals, accommodations, and hospitality were the backdrops for workshop sessions on ecology, behavior, management, and culture of lake trout and two Chapter sessions.

Jay Peak Resort, Jay, Vermont. 1997. Left to Right : Henk Rietveld, Joan Trial, Rod Wentworth, Len Gerardi


The Twenty fourth Annual Meeting (1998) held at Lac Beaport, just outside of Quebec City revisited the theme "management of introduced fishes". A thought provoking keynote speech by Dr. Pierrre Magnan of the Universite du Quebec at Trois Rivieres, and regional updates on the latest distribution of exotics gave way to a lively panel discussion on management options. Yves Mailhot broke the ice on Sunday night with the "léon française", and all attendees enjoyed the local cuisine and a night on the town on Monday night.

The Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting (1999) was held at the picturesque Camp Bishopwoods on Megunticook Lake in Camden, Maine. The theme for the meeting was "Watershed Management" A very full program included papers on habitat and species interactions, partnerships, fish health, and some very interesting presentations on genetics by Louis Bernatchez and several of his students. Those who left early missed an excellent presentation by Ethan Nedeau on the ecology of freshwater mussels in New England which was punctuated by a sudden thunderstorm and a friendly dog.

The Twenty-sixth Annual Meeting (2000) was hosted by the folks in Nova Scotia at the beautiful but windy Pictou Lodge along the Northumberland Strait. Those who weren't blown away at the Sunday night social were able to attend technical sessions focusing on the theme of "New Methods of Collecting and Analyzing Data". Dr. Gilles Lacroix's keynote address on new advances in fish tagging and tracking set the tone for lively discussion on topics ranging from salmon stocks to hockey sticks. The "new technology" theme carried into the business meeting with President Kulik unveiling the new AIC website.

The Twenty-Seventh Annual Meeting (2001) was hosted by the State of New Hampshire on the shores of beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee . The Geneva Point Center in Center Harbor was the location for the meeting held on September 23-25. This year's theme was "2001: A Fishing Odyssey". Steve Perry, Chief, Inland Fisheries Division, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, presented the welcoming address. Sessions included presentations on the "Applications of PIT Tags in Fisheries Management", "Habitat", "New Technologies", as well the ever present Open Session. The agenda and abstracts of the presented papers can be seen and downloaded off the AIC website. A photo gallery of presenters and of events occurring during this year's meeting is available on the website for your viewing pleasure. The meeting was a resounding success with a large part of that success attributed to Gabe Gries, a member of the Southern New England Chapter (SNEC), who recruited many presenters from his chapter area as well as many and varied raffle prizes. Highlights included an evening campfire down by the lake, the annual polar bear swim (Joan Trial, Ken Beland, Len Gerardi), and evening socials where members had the opportunity to catch up with counterparts from the AIC member states and provinces as well as SNEC members.

Tracadie-Sheila, N.B. was the site for the Twenty-Eight Annual Meeting (2002) of the AIC held on September 22-24. Our host, the Province of New Brunswick , selected the beautiful Complexe Les Deux Riviéres in the heart of the Acadian Peninsula along the Gulf of St. Lawrence for this year's venue. The theme, "Homeland Security: Do You Know What is in Your Water?", was the foundation for presentations on exotic aquatics and bio-security at home and in the field. A panel discussion exploring the "who, what, where of control and management of exotics, invasives, and other nasties" stimulated much discussion. The tone of the meeting was set with a social at the Cronin Country Cabin replete with the necessary ingredients fostering loud and irreverent discussions and story telling. The annual AIC dip, a.k.a. polar bear swim, included recalcitrant participants Joan Trial and Al McNeill. A 2.5-hour "Cajun" cruise aboard a Mississippi river boat replica was the setting for the Monday evening social. The group explored the historical shoreline development including the Ste-Famille Academy (school, boarding house, hospital) along the riviẻres Petite Tracadie and Grande Tracadie. The ambience of the riverboat cruise lead to stimulating discussions of the benefits of dredging river bottoms as well as social activities such as cutthroat gambling.

The Twenty-Ninth Annual Meeting (2003) of the AIC was held on August 10, 2003, in conjunction with the 133rd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. The parent society held its annual meeting August 10-14 in Québec City with the following theme, "Worldwide decline of wild fish populations", generating 20 concurrent sessions over the course of the meeting. The AIC served as Host Chapter for the national meeting and the Local Arrangements Committee, headed by Chair Stephanie LaChance, arranged a superb meeting locale complete with more than generous portions of free beer! Chapter member Brandon Kulik served as Chair of the Raffle Committee that brought in over $30,000 in raffle prizes. Many other Chapter members served as session moderators and several members also presented papers during the meeting. Québec City provided a festive atmosphere for meeting attendees to interact with AFS members from outside the Chapter area as well as with the local populous. At the AIC annual business meeting, AFS Past President Ken Beal addressed the membership on the AFS Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program and urged the Chapter members to support the program financially and by bringing interns into their organizations. Kathryn Collet (NB), Greg Mackey (ME), and Steve Shepard (ME) were presented as the slate of candidates for President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. The Secretary cast one vote in favor of the nominated candidates. Vermont will host the 30th annual Meeting.

The Thirtieth Annual Meeting (2004) of the AIC was held from September 19-21 at the beautiful Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee , Vermont . The theme of this year's meeting was "Axis of Evil?: Perceived and Real Issues Regarding Species Interactions". Angie Incerpi kicked the meeting off as Keynote Speaker Monday morning, urging the management biologists not to forget where we come from, who our constituents are, what our primary roles should be as fisheries biologists. An excellent suite of presentations were given including papers on Atlantic salmon, habitat and pollutants, and fish movement. Students were also well-represented at the meeting, and a group of fisheries students from the University of Maine announced their intention to develop the AIC's first student sub-unit. A new tradition of awarding a prize for the "Best Student Paper" was also begun. 2004 was also the AIC's 30th anniversary as an AFS Chapter, and appropriate celebrations took place. No Sunday Evening Informal Session was arranged this year ; taking it's place was an after-dinner lakeside bonfire, general socializing, and the imbibing of delicious local microbrews, generously donated by Otter Creek and Magic Hat breweries (these may have possibly had a role in the appearance of "Julio" in the Hospitality Suite later that evening). The final event of the meeting was the fund-raising raffle, which proved to be the biggest and best to date, with nearly $4,000 in prizes up for grabs, including a 3-day 2-night stay at the Lake Morey Resort, a full day guided bass fishing trip on Lake Champlain , and heaps of fishing gear. Greg Mackey (ME), Shawn Good (VT), and Steve Shepard (ME) were voted in as President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively.

The AIC returned to Rangeley , Maine for the Thirty-First Annual Meeting (2005) of the AIC, which took place from September 25-27. This year's theme was "Riverine and Aquatic Habitat Restoration". Other sessions included the requisite Atlantic salmon session, and by request, a special workshop on brook trout on the final day. Possibly setting a new AIC record, submitted papers exceeded available slots and so sessions were expanded to accommodate everyone! Despite slightly longer days, no one protested as the presentations were all very stimulating. The meeting was an outstanding success, and a new AIC attendance record may have been set with nearly 80 registered participants. The brook trout workshop drew presenters and participants from well outside the AIC area, including Massachusetts , Virginia , and West Virginia . Once again, student participation was well received, with student presentations representing 10 of 35 papers in total ! The judges for the "Best Student Paper" arrived at a tie, awarding the honour to both Nathan Wilke and Xinhai Li for their efforts. Shawn Good (VT) made the transition from Vice-President to President and Steve Shepherd (ME) finally managed to escape the shackles of Secretary-Treasurer, moving into the Vice-President position. John Magee (NH) was nominated and voted in as the new Secretary-Treasurer forever.

The Thirty-Second Annual Meeting (2006) of the AIC took place on September 12, 2006, in conjunction with the 136th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 10-14 in Lake Placid, New York. Due to the fact that the Parent Society's annual meeting date was close to the AIC's typical annual meeting time (third week of September) and geographically proximate to our region, it was thought that many typical AIC attendees might choose to attend the AFS National meeting and not an AIC annual meeting that year. Consequently, the AIC Ex-Comm voted to just hold a business meeting followed by an evening social at the AFS National meeting. A fair turn-out of AIC members occurred, enough for a quorum, and a successful business meeting was held. Steve Shepard (ME), Alison Johnson (NB), and John Magee (NH) were voted in as President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. Following the business meeting, a small but energetic social took place featuring plenty of free beverages and pizza. Members the New York Chapter of AFS were invited to join AIC members at the social, and a good number took up the offer. New Brunswick will host the 33rd annual AIC Meeting.

The Thirty-Third Annual Meeting (2007) of the Atlantic International Chapter was held in Fredericton, NB. The meeting, a return engagement at the Mactaquac Inn, was well attended by members and non-members from throughout the Chapter area. The meeting theme, "Challenges to Fish Habitat", prompted the submission of many excellent oral and poster presentations. An old Chapter crony, Peter Cronin, presented the welcoming address. Students presented several excellent papers with Lisa Bowron's paper, "Exploring the effects on white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) during pulp mill closure and restart", garnering the best student paper award. A tour of the Mactaquac Biodiversity Facility on late Monday afternoon paved the way for the evenings festivities held at the Lowly Longard Lodge abounding with all the obligatory ingredients nurturing boisterous and irreverent discussions and story telling. During the business meeting and prior to submission of the slate of officers, a fair amount of arm-twisting did not entice any members to present oneself as the Vice-Presidential candidate. Finally, Ernie Atkinson (ME) literally stepped up and volunteered to serve as Vice-President. Alison Johnson (NB), Ernie Atkinson (ME), and John Magee (NH) were subsequently voted as President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. Incidentally, John Magee is serving his third term as Secretary-Treasurer "forever". Nova Scotia has offered to host the 34th annual meeting.

AIC History prepared and compiled over the years by Ken Warner, Joan Trial,
Alan McNeill, Norm Dubé and Shawn Good. Last revision January, 2007.