The Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) was established in 1984 to promote greater interaction, net-working and cooperation among researchers, technicians and all stakeholders involved in fisheries and aquaculture research and development (R&D) in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region. It aims to encourage and facilitate research activity complementation, sharing of information and publication of research results, and more recently expanding its activities to include private sector partners and government institutions. Its ultimate aim is to raise the awareness of the importance and ways of utilization, conservation, sustainable production and development of aquatic resources in the AP region for the benefit of all. The Society operates apolitically and all its operations and activities are self-funded via membership dues and income generated by running conferences. For more information about the AFS, its history and past activities please visit www.asianfisheriessociety.org
The triennial Asian Fisheries Forum (AFF) was initiated by the Society to achieve many of the above stated objectives. The 1AFF was successfully held in Manila, Philippines in 1986 and was the first big milestone of the Society to achieve many of the above stated objectives. The 1AFF was successfully held in Manila, Philippines in 1986 and was the first big milestone of the Society. Since the first forum, the triennial fora have been carried out in many AP member countries through an expression of interest process with the successful host country appointed Convener of the forum.
The triennial forum serves as the venue for AFS members to meet, update recent trends and ongoing research in the region. It provides members an unique opportunity to learn and evaluate their research, establish linkages and forge new inter-country research group to tackle regional projects. It also provides guidelines and direction to policymakers, planners and all key commercial stakeholders. In recent years, the AFF also attracted international agencies and funding bodies to attend the forum, thereby providing an ideal venue for members and international agencies to interact, evaluate and explore new regional projects in the AP region.
The Society encourages young researchers from the AP to attend the AFF and expand their net-working with the large number of fisheries scientists from the AP region, EU, US and other countries in attendance. Towards this aim, the Society helps young scientists to secure travel support to attend the Forum.
The AFF is one of the most important activities of AFS and at the end of each forum, the AFS General Assembly (GA) is held and a new Council of the Society appointed. Since the Society’s inception in 1984, it has successfully run 10 triennial fora. In 2007, during the 8th AFS council term, the Society decided to update the name of its triennial forum to better reflect the broad scope/activities of the forum and the interests of its members by renaming the AFF as the Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture forum (AFAF). This was approved by the GA. To avoid confusion, the term AFF and AFAF are used synonymously and the term 1AFF to 8AFF are kept for historical reason but for all intend and purpose, it is part of the triennial AFAF series of the Society.
The first AFAF was held in May 1986 in Manila, the Philippines, and since the first forum, the Society has successfully held 10 AFAFs in the AP countries. The details of the fora held are listed below:
In addition to the triennial forum, since the first forum of 1986, the Society has also expanded its conference activities by holding other specialized conference series.
They include:
The AFS’s MyConferences website will provide better management and integration of all the conference activities of the Society. It will make it easier for AP countries to host future fora and conferences run by the Society and ensure consistent high standard and quality in all AFS conferences.
