ABOUT US

The Fisheries Conservation Foundation (FCF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that promotes the work and knowledge of aquatic scientists, resource managers, and environmental professionals. The FCF strives to ensure that objective, peer-reviewed scientific information about fisheries and aquatic resources reaches policy-makers and the public, so the decisions made about the use of our freshwater and marine ecosystems are logical, informed, and based on the principles of sustainability.

The Fisheries Conservation Foundation was founded in 2003 as an outreach arm of the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Established in 1870, AFS is the oldest and largest professional society representing fisheries scientists around the world. Members of AFS, more than 9,000 professionals, address the full spectrum of fish, fisheries, and aquatic resource issues. The Fisheries Conservation Foundation strives to connect the scientific expertise of AFS with other conservation partners and like-minded organizations to inject current scientific knowledge of aquatic resource issues into the public and political knowledge base.

The Fisheries Conservation Foundation receives overall direction and oversight from an up-to-fifteen-member Board of Directors (“BoD” or “Board”) that is composed of the Campaign Leader for each the Foundation’s campaigns, the Chair of the Foundation’s Advisory Council, up to five additional members of the Foundation’s Advisory Council (two of which are specifically to be from the Financial Committee), as well as up to four at-large members who are nominated by the Board. Except for the at-large members, members of the Board are nominated by the respective entities above, with their appointments to be approved by the Board. Specifically, the Board of Directors directs the affairs of the Foundation and determines its policies within the limits of its bylaws.

The FCF Advisory Council is a group of individuals appointed by the Board to provide the Foundation with expertise and advice on fundraising, making personal and corporate contacts, future industry and public trends, and forming partnerships. More specifically, the Advisory Council's Financial Committee is composed of business leaders that provide financial advice to the Board.