Frontiers In Fisheries Science Leadership

The 2011 annual meeting theme –New Frontiers in Fisheries Management and Ecology: Leading the Way in a Changing World –prominently emphasizes leadership in fisheries management.  The intent of this symposium is to identify and discuss components of leadership that are essential for fisheries professionals to effectively lead the way in natural resources management and ecology.

As the demand for fisheries resources continues to rise, it is imperative that they are used in a manner that will ensure their availability today and into the future.  It is especially important that fisheries (and other natural resources) be protected from over-exploitation and misuse.  It is just as imperative that access to natural resources is equitable –available for the mutual use and benefit of all humans. 

Natural resource employees across a variety of disciplines are empowered with making decisions that, in part, determine whether the natural resources we depend on and enjoy will remain healthy and are available for generations to come.  Therefore, the establishment, development, and reinforcement of leadership principles and skills are essential tools for natural resource managers as we move into the next decade of natural resource management.

The symposium will focus on essential of natural resource leadership components by addressing topics that answer the following questions:

 1. What is (natural resource) leadership?

 2. Why is leadership critical for effective fisheries conservation?

 3. How do fisheries professionals appropriately exercise leadership for better resource management?