The Bear State, the Land of Opportunity and the Wonder State have all been past nicknames of Arkansas. The Arkansas Fisheries Society takes pride in Arkansas? current nickname of the Natural State as it aims to utilize the state?s natural water resources and wildlife for environmental purposes.
There are over 100 American Fisheries Society chapters nationwide, with a total of over 9,000 members.
?The mission of the American Fisheries Society is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals,? said Dustin Lynch, Ph.D. student and AFS president. ?We promote interest in this through activities such as involving education, recreation and environmental cleanup.?
The national organization was founded in 1870 as the American Fish Culturists? Association, according to the national website. The dues are $20 for a student member and $80 for a regular member.
?The Arkansas Fisheries society at the UA currently has around 15 members,? Lynch said. ?People can join by sending a message to the AFS Facebook page with email contact info, and we will include them on our mailing list with time and place for the meetings.?
The UA chapter of AFS is also involved with the state chapter, and in September of 2013, the national AFS meeting will be held in Little Rock, Ark.
?This past spring, several members of the club attended the Arkansas chapter of the American Fisheries Society meeting,? said Brad Austin, biological sciences Ph.D. student. ?At the meeting, members learned about research in the fields of stream ecology and fisheries, providing an experience that members would not normally get in the classroom.?
The Natural State has hundreds of lakes to fish in, according to Arkansas.com, but many people are still foreign to the sport. AFS is mainly comprised of experienced members who are avid about having new members engage in their hobby. AFS envisions a future where worldwide fishery? production is optimized and sustained while structural and functional conditions of marine, freshwater and estuarine ecosystems are maintained, according to the national website.
?Currently, our membership consists mainly of undergraduate and graduate students within the department of biological sciences,? said Brad Austin, biological sciences Ph.D. student. ?So, one of our goals is to increase our membership, bringing in members from across campus.?
AFS has a division specifically for ?fish culture,? which was formed in 1974, according to the national AFS website. The local chapter in Arkansas also participates in promoting and engaging in fish culture.
?Fish culture refers to advancing cultivation technology of aquatic organisms for food, commercial and recreational fisheries enhancement, ornamental purposes, and conservation, emphasizing things like nutrition, economics, breeding, et cetera,? Lynch said.
The AFS national website has a tab for job postings so that members have the opportunity to apply for graduate assistant, research and full-time jobs within the organization?s many fields.
?This RSO has provided the ability to invite speakers in to talk about their work in the field of fisheries management,? Austin said. ?I think this is good for myself and other members because it makes us aware of the potential jobs that we are preparing ourselves for in the fields of fisheries management and stream ecology.?
The Arkansas Fisheries Society is close in friendship among its members, but it is also involved with other RSOs on campus.
The club assisted in putting on a booth with Springfest 2011 with the biological graduate student association, Austin said. ?With our booth, BGSA members talk about the impacts of improper waste disposal and not recycling our trash on the environment, while the AFS club focuses on the diversity of organisms that can be found in local streams, and in the past our booth has included live fish and bugs that kids can touch and/or hold.?
The RSO began in the spring of 2011, and since then it has focused on creating clearer lakes. Members participate in cleaning up the area around Lake Fayetteville every semester. ASF allows those who enjoy the outdoors of Arkansas to be in an organization that brings a diverse group of fish culture interests together.
?The types of people who join this organization are varied and have a wide variety of interests and reasons for joining,? Lynch said. ?A lot of people are primarily into sport fishing for recreation, and game fish species. I actually am not a fisherman myself and have more of an interest in smaller non-game stream fish, their ecology and conservation. It?s an organization that encompasses a lot of different interests.?
Source: http://www.uatrav.com/2012/11/26/arkansas-fisheries-society-promotes-various-fish-culture-interests/
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