The Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society values its members and all those who work to improve the conservation and sustainability of our fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems. Randy Pausch once said, “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest, yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”
Each year at our annual meeting we have an Awards Ceremony to recognize fisheries professionals and Georgia Chapter AFS members for their outstanding work and dedication to the profession and our aquatic systems. But our nomination procedures are antiquated, and we would like to see more nominations of professionals for their exceptional work in fisheries science and research. Therefore, we have developed a new nomination process and separated the GAAFS Fisheries Professional of the Year (FPY) into two separate categories: GAAFS FPY in Fisheries Management and GAAFS FPY in Fisheries Science and Research.
Nomination forms have been created for the GAAFS FPY in Fisheries Management, FPY in Fisheries Science and Research, and Fisheries Conservationist of the Year. The nomination forms will ONLY be used to determine the top three finalists for each award category. Each finalist will be asked to answer a set of QUESTIONS that will be evaluated by our team of judges.
Deadline to nominate someone for one of these 3 awards is December 20, 2021 (Recognition should be based on fisheries-related work done in 2021 but can span more than one year.)
GAAFS Fisheries Professional of the Year in Fisheries Management
The GAAFS Fisheries Professional of the Year in Fisheries Management is open to all fisheries professionals working in Georgia whose job entails the management of marine and freshwater finfish and shellfish and their respective fisheries and environments. Aquatic resources management refers to the process of minimizing adverse impacts on aquatic populations within their shared habitat through science-based practices to conserve the aquatic resource. This award is open to hatchery managers, fisheries technicians, PFA managers, biologists, and other fisheries professionals who have participated in outstanding or unique management or fish culture activities that contributed significantly to fisheries management and/or conservation.
GAAFS FPY in Fisheries Management Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/uc2dVYypJoPKHWmZ6
GAAFS Fisheries Professional of the Year in Science and Research
The GAAFS Fisheries Professional of the Year in Fisheries Science and Research is open to all fisheries professionals working in Georgia whose job entails the conservation and research of marine and freshwater finfish and shellfish and their respective fisheries and environments. Fisheries science includes many areas of research, such as studying aquatic populations, habitats, ecological health, biodiversity, physiology, and toxicology, socioeconomic, and fisheries management. This award is open to biologists, professors, fisheries technicians, and other fisheries professionals whose role in a research project or program that promotes conservation and sustainability of aquatic resources and ecosystems.
GAAFS FPY in Fisheries Science and Research Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/QnyRNhGWgnAFXTdHA
GAAFS Fisheries Conservationist of the Year
The GAAFS Fisheries Conservationist of the Year award is open to an individual or group for their outstanding contributions or service to fisheries conservation in Georgia. Fisheries conservation addresses the study, conservation, and sustainable use of marine and freshwater finfish and shellfish and their aquatic habitats, including streams, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans. Accomplishments can include political, legal, educational, scientific, and managerial successes. Their accomplishments should go beyond their regular work responsibility.
GAAFS Fisheries Conservationist of the Year Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/1U3Xf9mgsP7VQG1i9
Additional Chapter Awards Nomination Process
Do you want to nominate someone for one of the following Georgia Chapter AFS Awards: Career Contribution, Unsung Hero, Distinguished Service, or Certificate of Appreciation? Submit a nomination letter describing the qualifications of the nominee and how the nominee meets the criteria for the award. Your letter should be 500 words or less and please include a picture of your nominee (working, fishing, etc.). Guidelines are available to assist you with the nomination process. All nominations for these awards need to be submitted by January 15, 2022 to Steve Sammons at sammosm@auburn.edu.
Georgia Chapter American Fisheries Society 