Introspection and Innovation: AFS and Hatcheries and Management of Aquatic Resources

“A good price for and promotion of their products [cultured fish] were of paramount concern in the early years [of AFS].”

“With the passage of time, […] the focus of fisheries management broadened from the previous narrow fixation on fish culture to more appropriate, ecologically oriented programs.”

“The arc of the fish culture pendulum has come full swing:  from early consideration as a universal fisheries management panacea through a transitional period of questioning and disrepute, to final recognition as an indispensable tool...”

These quotes from Fish Culture in Fisheries Management (Stroud 1986) illustrate the changing role of cultured fish in aquatic resource management, as well as the Society’s changing views on fish culture, from our founding in 1870 as the American Fish Culturists’ Association to the present day.  This evolution is the result of decades-long introspection and analysis, punctuated by forums coordinated by AFS to collectively discuss the use of hatchery-origin fish. 

This presentation will summarize the iterative process AFS has undergone to evaluate and prepare recommendations regarding hatchery operation and the use of hatchery-origin fish, concluding with a synopsis of the guidance resulting from the most recent forum, “Hatcheries and Management of Aquatic Resources (HaMAR)”.