156th American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting – August 30-September 3, 2026
AFS 2026, Columbus, Ohio
Theme: The heart of stainability: Habitat as the foundation of productive fisheries
New Link – AFS Beneath the Surface
A link to AFS Beneath the Surface, a deep dive into the programs and people at the American Fisheries Society, has been added to the Links page under the American Fisheries Society category. Available on all major podcast platforms. See all episodes at https://americanfisheriessociety.podbean.com/.
The Imperative of Data Management in Aquatic Habitat Science: A Call to Action
AUTHOR(S): Canadian Ecological Data Sustainability Team
CITATION: CEDST. 2025. The Imperative of Data Management in Aquatic Habitat Science: A Call to Action. White paper of the Canadian Ecological Data Sustainability Team. 15 pp. + Apps. https://sites.google.com/ontariotechu.net/sosmart/home/other-external-reports-and-studies?authuser=0
Employment Opportunity – General Manager
The Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre (A/OFRC) is seeking a visionary General Manager to lead our dedicated team, manage daily operations, and guide the strategic direction of our organization.
Reporting to the Board of Directors under the general supervision of the Chair, the General Manager provides support in the administrative and operational aspects of the Centre’s activities and functions. The position handles administration tasks such as maintaining employee records, promoting initiatives and projects, supporting employee relations, and collaborating with the office manager. The General Manager will provide technical leadership to the operations of the corporation and will be responsible for the coordination, development, implementation, and execution of project deliverables and reporting, as well as seeking additional funding opportunities that will support the goals and objectives of the A/OFRC.
The A/OFRC is a not-for-profit corporation established by agreement between the Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation and the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources to further the knowledge and conservation of fisheries resources of interest to the Anishinabek First Nations.
See the job notice for further details and to apply.
New Link – Fishbook
A link to Fishbook – Fisheries Collaboration Network, has been added to the Links page under the AFS Social Networks category. Development of Fishbook was funded by a multi-state grant in order to increase communication and collaboration in the fisheries research and management community. Fishbook consists of two main areas: Projects and Groups.
Volume XXIII, Issue I – The Lateral Line
HIGHLIGHTS:
2025 AFS-OC AGM & Conference Summary – Silviya Ivanova
Student Subunit Update
AFS-OC Comment on Proposed Changes to ESA
Invasive Crayfish, Old and New – Sam Turner
The Fish Life List: Obvious or Obscure? – Sarah Steele
From the Lab – Jacob Lasci
Fish Focus – Rainbow Smelt – Siobhan Ewert
Book Review – Ignition: Lighting Fires in a Burning World. By M.R. O’Connor, and The Summer Canada Burned: the Wildfire Season that Shocked the World. By Monica Zurowski and Postmedia – Ross Claytor
2025 AFS-OC AGM Sponsors
Plight of the endangered Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus) in Canada: end of the road?
AUTHOR(S): Donald A. Jackson and Nicholas E. Mandrak
CITATION:Â Jackson, D.A. and N.E. Mandrak. 2025. Plight of the endangered Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus) in Canada: end of the road?. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2024-0391
News – DFO’s new Offsetting Policy and Position Statement for the Consideration of Cumulative Effects
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) has released a new Offsetting Policy and Cumulative Effects Position Statement. The Policy for Applying Measures to Offset Harmful Impacts to Fish and Fish Habitat and the Position Statement on the Consideration of Cumulative Effects in Support of Decision Making on Fisheries Act Authorizations Concerning Fish and Fish Habitat Protection are now available on DFO’s Projects Near Water website. These documents contribute to FFHPP’s efforts to conserve, protect and restore fish and fish habitat for future generations in a way that respects Indigenous rights and supports sustainable development. Both documents provide additional clarity for partners and project proponents.
The Offsetting Policy provides direction on undertaking effective measures to offset death of fish and the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, consistent with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. FAQs and a summary of key changes between the 2025 and the 2019 versions of the Offsetting Policy are also available, as well as our 3-page tip sheet Project planning: What is offsetting and how to prepare an offsetting plan. We will be issuing further guidance to support the Offsetting Policy later in 2025, specifically the guidelines for establishing and managing fish habitat banks, guidelines for the development of an offsetting plan, and policy guidance related to the program’s Risk Management Framework and when avoidance, mitigation and offsetting measures are applied.
The Cumulative Effects Position Statement is designed to provide further clarity on the department’s approach to the application of the relevant fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act during the project authorization decision-making process. It supports decision makers as they consider the cumulative effects of a project, in combination with all other relevant stressors on fish and fish habitat. FAQs on the Position Statement are also available.
ECOPA Natural Resources Training
Ecopa Environmental provides training programs (including backpack electrofishing certification) designed to give industry professionals, government agencies, First Nations, academic institutions, community partners, and students hands-on experience and expertise in natural resource management See current Natural Resources Training opportunities.
News – DFO FFHPP Risk Management Framework
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) has released its Risk Management Framework Overview on the Talk Fish Habitat website.
This overview:
- provides information about FFHPP’s risk management approach
- serves as a foundation for future engagement on policies, guidance and tools related to how DFO manages risks to fish and fish habitat
- communicates the status of the FFHPP’s Risk Management Framework in the context of the implementation of the Fisheries Act (2019), the Species at Risk Act, the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
This overview document will also be posted on DFO’s Projects Near Water website.
Upcoming Events
Ontario Steam Assessment Protocol (OSAP) Training – June 1-5, 2026May 1, 2026 - 19:31- Ontario Streams Backpack Electrofishing TrainingMarch 17, 2026 - 10:01
Ontario Freshwater Mussel Identification Workshop – June 16-17, 2026January 23, 2026 - 22:36
2026 IAGLR-SCAS Joint Conference – May 25-29, 2026December 4, 2025 - 09:48
156th American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting – August 30-September 3, 2026September 2, 2025 - 22:08
