Ethical Science in the Face of Political Reality

Politics, at times, may trump science within agencies, companies, and other organizations that employ fishery managers, ecologists, and biologists.   When this happens, managers and scientists often feel threatened by supervisors, job actions, and lost employment if they fail to toe the company line.  But there are normally options available to find a positive way to resolve such dilemmas.  We will explore options that may be available to managers and scientists that question the current position/policies of their employer or the trajectory of politically powerful organizations.  We will highlight examples from managers and scientists presenting who favored scientific truth over politics, especially if they were able to maintain employment, and make positive changes.  However, we will highlight some examples where there was a necessary parting of the ways.  This session was stimulated by David Bella's plenary talk last August in Quebec City, in which he discussed the essential nature of 'troublemakers' or 'questioners' in all institutions.