REPORT TO THE AFS GOVERNING BOARD

MID-YEAR MEETING

March 21-24, 2001

from

INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES SECTION

I. ACTION:

Action requested: The Governing Board is requested to establish an "International Endowment Fund".

Recommended Motion: That the American Fisheries Society (AFS) establish an “International Endowment Fund" that will be managed by the AFS in a manner similar to the "Skinner Fund".

Background for Motion: Proceeds from the International Endowment Fund will provide long-term future opportunities for the Society and the International Fisheries Section (IFS) to support international fisheries activities that support the Society's long term international goals. Currently, international members are not subsidized by American Fisheries Society (AFS) dues pass back to Divisions or Chapters. The Endowment Fund is a way to “payback” the international members who have and will continue to support the Society. AFS members have wanted to provide a source of funding support for international activities for many years. This fund will help the Society meet its Strategic Plan goals for international programs.

As a result, at the recent 3rd World Fisheries Congress the International Fisheries Section Executive Committee voted to contribute $1,000 (1/4 of our treasury) to start the fund. From discussions with Betsy Fritz we understand that passage of this motion will begin the process of establishing said fund. The IFS offers its contribution of $1,000 as a challenge to other AFS subunits to begin building for our Society's future in international fisheries. All AFS subunits will be encouraged to participate and support the fund’s activities.

This endowment will be managed by the AFS and when sufficient investment revenues are available, proceeds will be administered by a committee, established by IFS, and used for a variety of international programs and projects. The committee will prepare guidelines, protocols, and related administrative tasks. There will be an opportunity for voluntary assistance and input requested from subunits who have supported international projects in the past. We see proceeds from the fund being used to support activities such as international memberships, purchase books and journals, support speakers here and abroad, provide seed money for international conferences, symposia and workshops, and to help publish articles and books.

As with the “Skinner Fund”, AFS would manage the funds and keep the "books". We also understand that currently no administrative costs are charged for these types of endowments.

Previously, proceeds from the Annual Raffle were directed in to the Skinner Fund and during this past year, the fund achieved a balance of $117,438. To our knowledge, future proceeds from the Raffle have not been earmarked for any other projects. At the next annual meeting, we are planning to request that funds from the Raffle be used to support the fund.

Please contact the IFS President (Robert Meyer [rmmeyer@att.net]) if additional information is needed. Once the Endowment proposal has been approved, we will ask Mary Kanpp our treasurer to send a check for $1,000 for deposit into the fund.

II. Outcome or Accomplishment as Relevant to the Strategic Plan

Change or Annual Program of Work: No charge or Program of Work Defined

Outcome and Accomplishments

Information Transfer and Outreach

ITO 1.1: Excellent audience attendance and participation demonstrated the success of the first SINO/US symposium (held during the 2000 Annual AFS Meeting). A reception follow the symposium (combined with the student reception) and dinner followed the reception. These events were sponsored by the International and Fish Culture Sections, Western Division and Northwest Marine Technology, Inc.

ITO 1.2: During the meeting of the International Organizing Committee (IOC) meeting during the 3rd World Fisheries Congress, The AFS/IFS Organizing Committee presented the Societies bid to host the 4th World Fisheries Congress in North America in 2004/5. The bid received unanimous support from the IOC. Serving on the AFS/IFS team were Bernard Megrey, Max Stocker, Glen Contreras and Dale Burkett.

ITO 1.3: IFS members have been appointed by AFS President Carl Burger to serve on the AFS Executive Committee for the 4th World Fisheries Congress.

ITO 1.4 IFS and the Western Division are providing support to the "International Conference on Wood in the World Rivers” to be held in Corvallis Oregon October 23-27, 2000. Major Sponsors are the USDA Forest Service, University of Oregon, National Resource Conservation Service, the University of Washington, and other agencies and nongovernmental groups. Over 400 people attended the Conference and products including a book and bibliography will be produced. The website for the project status is http://riverwood.orst.edu

Membership Services

MS 1.1: Glen Contreras representing the International Fisheries Section at the "International Conference on Wood in the World Rivers” held in Corvallis Oregon October 23-27, 2000. Glen interviewed several potential “Sullivan Fund” candidates during the Symposium. The Carl Sullivan International membership program is directed towards subsidizing Society and Section memberships for fisheries scientists from non-North American English speaking countries..

MS 1.2: The IFS Executive Committee met during the 3rd World Fisheries Congress and voted to support establish an “International Endowment Fund” to support Society and Section international activities, i.e., support international memberships in the Society, to purchase books and journals, to support speakers here and abroad, to provide seed money for international conferences, symposia and workshops, and to help publish articles and books.

MS 1.3: At the recent 3rd World Fisheries Congress the International Fisheries Section Executive Committee voted to contribute $1,000 to start the fund. The IFS contribution of $1,000 is offered as a challenge to other AFS subunits to begin building for our Society's future in international fisheries.

Aquatic Stewardship

AS 1.1: To promote aquatic stewardship, the Section donated totaling over $3,500 worth of goods and services. These included 5 year subscriptions of journals and several boxes of books sent to seven Far-East Russian fisheries laboratories.

AS 1.2: IFS members hosted many scientists and managers from a variety of countries and continue to receive requests for books, journals, symposium proceedings. We currently need journals for two libraries in Chile and Argentina and a large collection of journals for a new fishery school in India

III. Financial Status

A copy of the Section’s Annual Financial Report has been provided to the Director of Administration and Finance