Oregon Chapter AFS and Professional Ethics: An Historical Perspective

The late 1980s were challenging times for fish professionals in Oregon, and elsewhere.  Many native fish populations were in decline but there was little recognition of this by responsible management agencies.  It was difficult for individuals to express concerns about the situation internally and virtually impossible to do so externally.  AFS provided a means for individuals to make public the scientific evidence for an expanding biological crisis and to voice their concerns to responsible management organizations.  The Chapter’s 1989 meeting focused on this dilemma faced by many of its members – how to meet one’s obligation to the resource while being part of a management organization that often made choices favoring short-term expediency over long-term conservation.  Speakers at the plenary session challenged members to consider their professional obligations to inform the public and to protect the resources entrusted in their care while also recognizing responsibilities as employees within an organization.  The response was overwhelmingly positive and resulted in the Chapter developing a code of professional ethics that has been a model for other chapters and organizations.  We review the highlights of this milestone meeting and look at how this changed our careers and how the lessons can be applied today.