Ethics in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management: Responsible Conduct Roles for Industry and Professional Associations

Industries, trade, and professional associations that market products for fisheries conservation and management have important ethical responsibilities that complement those of academia and agencies because survival depends on customer or member satisfaction.  At Smith-Root, we ask key questions before developing a new technology:  Is it relevant?  Can it be operated safely and reliably?  What’s our ethical responsibility to the resource and the users (biologists, resource managers, and stakeholders)?  A good business plan puts products into a marketplace that work as designed with minimal risks to users or natural resources.  From a professional association perspective, how relevant are we (AFS) if we do not offer our members professional development opportunities, access to top-quality science, and guidance in resource conflicts and issues?  We provide examples of responsible ethics from both industry and association perspectives.  In the private sector, we are careful with our marketing efforts to scientists (our mantra is “less is more”).  Ethical pros and cons exist for all sectors in all aspects of business.  However, one resounding theme stands out:  No matter which sector we work for, we are all in this together.  To succeed, we need responsible, ethical partnerships involving all facets of the resource conservation spectrum.