SUMMARY OF THE
MEETINGS 2004
The 84th
annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
(ASIH) was held at the United States Postal Service National Center for
Employee Development (NCED) and Marriott Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma
from 26--31 May 2004, in conjunction with the 20th annual meeting of
the American Elasmobranch Society (AES), the 62nd annual meeting of
the Herpetologists' League (HL), and the 47th annual meeting of the
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). Janalee Caldwell served as chair of the
local committee.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
MEETING: 26 MAY
2004
The meeting of the
ASIH Board of Governors (BOG) was called to order by President Patrick T.
Gregory at 1700 h on 26 May 2004.
Sixty-six governors and 2 guests were in attendance. Secretary Donnelly conveyed messages of
regret from Governors Bailey, Grobman, Janzen, Lips, Pough, Rabb, Savage,
Starnes, Stewart, Stouder, Warkentin and Wells.
Secretary Donnelly announced the
passing of Walter Auffenberg, Roger Conant, Marjorie
Courtenay-Latimer, Ed Crossman,
Don de Sylva, William Gutzke, Henry Hildebrand, John Moore, David J. Morafka,
Henry Seibert, Robert Shoop, and Richard Wallace.
The minutes as
published in Copeia 2003 (4):930-940 and the agenda for the meeting were
approved unanimously.
Future Annual
Meetings
President Gregory called on Governor
Cashner, chair of the Meetings Management Committee, to describe future
meetings. The meeting in
2005 will be held in Tampa from 6 - 11 July. In 2006, the meeting will be held in New Orleans from 12 -
17 July at the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street. In 2007, the Joint Meeting will be held at Cornell
University in Ithaca, New York. We
will meet in 2008 in Montreal in conjunction with the World Congress of
Herpetology and in 2009 we will meet in Vancouver. Governor Cashner informed the Governors that several tourist
bureaus and conference centers have contacted us. Governor Cashner is certain and we will be able to secure
future venues in a variety of sites.
Executive Committee
Meeting
President
Gregory then called on Secretary Donnelly to read the minutes of the Executive
Committee (EXEC) meeting that was held earlier on 26 May 2004. The Executive Committee meeting was called to order by
President Gregory at 0900 h.
President Gregory opened the meeting by thanking Mike Douglas for his 15
years of dedicated service as Editor of Copeia.
First, Treasurer
Neighbors described the current state of the society's finances. While the society is in good financial
condition overall, our expenses exceed our operating revenues. The Board of Governors approved a dues
increase for 2005 and this action will increase the operating budget for the
coming year and should result in a budget surplus. The number of institutional subscriptions is lower than last
year and the number of members has also decreased. Members of EXEC discussed the reasons for these declines and
scenarios for increasing membership.
The members of EXEC encourage all governors to become sustaining members
or life members to help improve the financial situation of the society. We will have membership applications
available during the meeting this year.
In future years we plan to have a membership table at the meetings that
could include web-based information about the society and the benefits of
membership in the ASIH.
Second, Treasurer
Neighbors informed the committee that 21 copies of Special Publication Number
5, the three volume set published by the FAO on Living Resources of the
Western Central Atlantic, have been sold.
The ASIH invested $45,000 in the project and we need to sell these
volumes to recover our investment.
The Special Publications Committee has produced an order form that is
available on the website. Copies
of the order form will be available at the ASIH table at this
meeting.
Third, President
Gregory turned to the issues associated with the transition of the editorship
of Copeia and other issues.
President Gregory will form an ad hoc committee to
review all issues associated with
our journal including format, editorial policy, our relationship with Allen
Press, the editorial structure, publication mode, and the committee will
provide a report to the BOG for the 2005 meeting. The chair of the Long Range Planning and Policy Committee,
Alan Savitzky, will serve as an ex-officio member of the committee.
Fourth,
Al Savitzky briefly summarized his report on the BioOne meeting and described
the Long Range Planning and Policy meeting that will take place on Friday to
discuss the future of printed journals.
Representatives from Allen Press, BioOne, the Herpetologists' League,
the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, and the members of EXEC
will attend this meeting. The
representatives from Allen Press and BioOne will describe the financial impact
of losing print subscriptions on our societies and this information will help
us make plans for the future. An
update will be provided during the Annual Business Meeting on Sunday 30 May
2004.
Fifth,
Secretary Donnelly prepared an order form for the purchase of back issues. The current price per issue is $25 for
non-members, $15 for regular members, and $7 for student members. The back issue prices will be reduced
to $10 for regular members and $5 for student members for issues prior to
2000. An order form with pricing
will be posted to the website in the very near future.
Sixth,
EXEC then voted unanimously to put back issues of Copeia on JSTOR. This requires destruction of the binding of all issues for
scanning. Secretary Donnelly will
donate her personal set of Copeia with the proviso that they be returned to her after the
scanning is completed.
Seventh,
the ASIH Historian, Meg Stewart, is resigning her position. President Gregory is working with
President-Elect Parenti to find a replacement for this position.
Eighth,
President-Elect Parenti will meet with the graduate students during their
meeting on Monday 31 May to discuss the type of mentoring they would like to
have during the annual meeting.
The mentoring meeting scheduled for Thursday will be combined with the
Monday meeting so please inform any of your students who are first-time meeting
attendees that they can learn more about mentoring at that time.
Ninth,
Past-President Page formed the Web Content and Management Committee last year
and it is currently chaired by Morgan Raley. Page, Treasurer Neighbors, and Nelson Rios serve on the
committee. President Gregory is
seeking volunteers, especially herpetologists, to work with the existing
committee members to improve the website.
Tenth,
on the basis of information presented by Past-President Page regarding LINNE,
President Gregory will ask the Ichthyological and Herpetological Collections
Committee to do a survey of collections of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles in
the United States. The survey will
include information on holdings, funding priorities, and resources required to
support these valuable resources.
The last survey of collections was published by Poss and Collette in the
early 1990s.
Eleventh,
President-Elect Parenti announced that the American Museum of Natural History
will sponsor a symposium 4 April 2005 on freshwater biodiversity. The ASIH is willing to serve as a
sponsor and will offer modest financial support for the event. Parenti also described the status of
the Systematic Ichthyology Newsletter which has been published annually for 25
years. The California Academy of
Sciences has published the first 25 issues of the newsletter and needs to be
relieved of the duty as they deal with moving during renovations. Lynne will take an active role in
finding a new compiler for this important document.
Twelfth,
Secretary Donnelly reported that Governor Gilbert had issues with the group
photo. The issue was considered by
the Meetings Planning and Meetings Management Committees and they decided
during their February meeting that the group photo was under the purview of the
local committee. Opinions
regarding the group photo varied among members of EXEC and we would like input
from the governors concerning the group photo.
Under
old business, EXEC discussed the publication of the directory. The directory will be published as a
PDF file after July 1. Please
visit the website and make sure all of your information is correct by 30 June
2004.
The Executive Committee meeting was adjourned at 1332
h.
Reports to the Board
President Gregory
called for blanket approval of reports except the report from the
Herpetological Animal Care Committee.
Governor Karsten Hartel exempted the report from the Special
Publications Committee. All other
reports were accepted unanimously by the Governors.
Governor Steve Beaupre, chair of the
Herpetological Animal Care Committee, indicated that the version of the
Guidelines that appear in the Board of Governors meeting book would be revised
to correct minor mistakes. He
asked for governors to send additional changes to him by 15 June. Governor Phillips moved approval of the
report, the motion was seconded by Governor Rosenblatt, and the motion carried
unanimously.
Governor Hartel was concerned that Allen Press was unable to
barcode the volumes and asked if it would be possible to barcode Special
Publication number 5 and all others in print. Governor Carpenter wondered if more aggressive marketing
would help sell the books.
President Gregory informed the Governors that the advertisement for
BioScience will be submitted to AIBS in the very near future. In order to recover our investment, we
must sell 450 copies of Special Publication Number 5. Governor Tom Munroe suggested that we might be able to make
a consignment arrangement with museum bookstores. It was also suggested that we should encourage libraries at
our home institution to purchase the books. We should also solicit reviews of the volumes in appropriate
journals. It was also suggested
that we use the pages of Copeia to advertise our special publications. President Gregory charged the Special
Publications Committee to investigate all of these issues. Chris Phillips moved acceptance of the
Special Publications Committee Report; Governor Crother seconded the motion
which was approved unanimously.
Old and New Business
There were no items
of old business.
President Gregory
then called for other items of new business. Governor Bauer announced that the fifth World Congress of
Herpetology would be held from 20-24 June 2005 in Stellenbosch, South
Africa. Governor
Collette announced
that an art exhibit at the City Art Center in Oklahoma City had 70 paintings by
Rudy Miller on display.
The Gibbs, Fitch,
and Johnson committee ballots were approved and the Governors voted for new
committee members. David Johnson
reminded the Governors that the Gibbs ballot must include three
candidates. David Greenfield was elected to a
three-year term on the Gibbs Committee, Julian C. Lee was elected to a
three-year term on the Fitch Committee, and Harvey B. Lillywhite was elected to
a three-year term on the Johnson Committee. The ballot for the general election was also
approved unanimously.
President Gregory
adjourned the meeting at 17:45 h.
ANNUAL BUSINESS
MEETING: 30 MAY
2004
The
Annual Business Meeting (ABM) was called to order at 1701 h by President
Gregory in Room GHI of the NCED Training Center.
President Gregory
called for a motion to approve the minutes of the annual business meeting held
on 20 June 2003 at the Hotel Tropical, Manaus Brazil. The minutes were
unanimously accepted. President
Gregory called on Secretary Donnelly to read the minutes from the Board of
Governor's meeting held on 26 May 2004.
President Gregory called for a motion to approve the minutes of the BOG
meeting; the motion was made, seconded, and carried unanimously.
President Gregory
called on Past-President Page to come forward and describe the LINNE
initiative. The LINNE initiative
will bring funds to NSF to support collections at systematics-based
institutions. The LINNE initiative
and the NEON initiative both have strong support at NSF. Page asked all members to inform their
colleagues about LINNE.
Aaron Bauer came
forward to describe the Fifth World Congress of Herpetology that will be held
20-24 June 2005. The congress will
be held at the Conservatorium of Music, Stellenbosch University, in
Stellenbosch,
South Africa. Aaron pointed out
that South Africa has the highest reptile diversity on the continent and was a
"hotspot" for tortoises, lizards, and snakes. Frog diversity is lower than reptile diversity, but
endemicity is high in the western Cape region. New species of amphibians and reptiles are discovered
regularly. Stellenbosch is in the
heart of the winelands and the average temperature during June is 53F. Stellenbosch is a University town with
a small town ambience. The
Herpetological Association of Africa (www.wits.ac.za/haa/) is sponsoring the
Congress. The estimated fee for
the congress is $425. Additional
information can be obtained from
conf@conferencesetal.co.za.
Morgan Raley, Chair
of the Web Content and Management Committee, came forward to describe
the Committee
that currently includes 4 ichthyologist.
Morgan called on herpetologists to serve on the committee. The website requires revision and if
any member would like to be involved in this important society function, please
contact Morgan (Morgan.Raley@ncmail.net).
The website is our public face and we need assistance from the
membership.
Jon Armbruster,
Chair of the Special Publications Committee, came forward to announce the
availability of ASIH publications.
The Fishes of Bermuda, the volume on Collection Building, and the new
FAO volume are available. The
order form can be downloaded from the website and mailed to Allen Press. Jon announced that his committee was
trying to do a better job of marketing the books. Rick Mayden suggested that we include an order form in every
issue of Copeia. Richard
Rosenblatt asked if University Presses could help market the books. Jim Williams suggested we talk with the
American Fisheries Society for help with marketing.
President Gregory
announced that Margaret Steward was stepping down as Historian and that David
G. Smith has been appointed to be the new ASIH Historian.
In an effort to
encourage ABM attendance and decrease the time devoted to presentations at the
banquet, the EXEC moved the presentation of certificates of appreciation and
the announcement of Gaige and Raney award winners from the banquet to the ABM
this year. President Gregory
called on Robert Espinoza, Chair of the Gaige Award Committee to come forward
to announce the names of the 2004 winners of the award. Christopher Phillips and Kirsten
Nicholson also served on the committee in 2004. The committee received 28 applications and 10 awards of $500
were granted as follows:
Venetia
S. Briggs,
University of Miami, Sexual selection and larval performance of Neotropical
frogs of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize; Alessandro
Catenazzi, Florida International
University, Marine productivity and gecko populations in the Peruvian coastal
desert: The importance of marine
food subsidies as revealed by stable isotope and dietary analyses;
Kamelia
Fallahpour, California State
University, Northridge. Effects of female breeding coloration on the behavior
and mate selection of male leopard lizards, Gambelia
wislizenii; Raymond A.
Hernandez,
California State University, Northridge. Allometric engineering of the desert
tortoise Gopherus agassizii:
An empirical test of the minimum body size hypothesis [Awarded, but
declined funds]; Lesley T. Lancaster, University of California, Santa Cruz,
Evolutionary patterns of changing reaction norms and the evolution of complex
specialization: Investigation of
intrapopulational differences in endocrine maternal effect initiation and
response plasticities in the side-blotched lizard Uta
stansburiana; Deborah I.
Lutterschmidt. Oregon State University. Comparative physiology of
"time-keeping" mechanisms: Evolved or environmentally
induced?; Suzanne
McGaugh, Iowa State University.
Ecological and genetic dynamics of invasive-endemic interactions; Nancy M. Schoeppner. University of
Pittsburgh. Understanding the effects of malathion on amphibian
communities: A mechanistic
approach; C. Tristan Stayton, University of Chicago. Patterns of functional
and morphological convergence among herbivorous lizard skulls; Daniel A.
Warner,
Ph.D. expected 2006. University of Sydney. The adaptive significance of
temperature-dependent sex determination:
An experimental test using an Australian agamid lizard; and Dennis K.
Wasko,
Ph.D. expected 2007. University of Miami. Top-down effects of a tropical
predator, Bothrops asper.
President Gregory
called on David Eisenhouer to announce the winners of the 2004 Raney Award
competition. Secretary Donnelly
made the announcement for Dr. Eisenhouer.
David Eisenhouer chaired the committee that included Cheryl Wilga and
Andrew Simons. The committee
received 40 meritorious proposals and made awards of $1000 to: Christen Bossou, University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, The effects of light environment on color divergence and
species diversity in barcheek darters;
Brian Langerhans, Washington University, Predator-driven adaptive
diversification in an endemic livebearing fish; Shannon Martin, University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
Reproductive strategies of coastal marine fishes: Testing the potential trade-offs due to sea level rise; Aaron Rice, University of Chicago
and Field Museum of Natural History, Evolution of reef fish feeding:
Coordination of feeding, visual, and
locomotor behaviors in wrasses and parrotfishes ($995.00); and
Jada-Simone
White,
University of Florida,
Long-term effects of variable recruitment - linking early and late life
history stages in a reef fish.
President Gregory
then called on David Green, Chair of the Resolutions committee to come forward
to read three resolutions that were unanimously approved by the
membership. Frank McCormick, Chair
of the Conservation Committee, came forward to read five resolutions; three
from AES and two from the Conservation Committee. After the resolutions were presented Frank described who the
resolutions would be sent to; Bruce Collette moved and Richard Rosenblatt
seconded approval of all resolutions which were approved unanimously by the
membership.
Substantive Resolutions
RESOLUTION FOR BRUCE
BADEN COLLETTE.--WHEREAS Bruce B. Collette has served the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists as a member since 1954, as a Governor since
1962, Secretary from 1974 to 1978, and as President in 1981, and
Whereas the ASIH has benefited and grown
due to his being Ichthyological Editor of Copeia from 1964-1968, and a member of the
Nomenclature (1967-1973), Nominating (1985), Raney Award (1986-1987), National
Plan for Ichthyology (1973-1976), Environmental Quality (1977-1982), and
Executive (1974-1978 and 1980-1982) committees, and
Whereas Bruce Collette is a herpetologist
and an ichthyologist, having won the ASIH Stoye Award in both Herpetology
(1956, first prize) and Ichthyology (1958, first prize; 1959, second prize) and
having published four of his first seven papers in herpetology; later followed
with well over 200 papers in ichthyology, focused on but not limited to the
systematics of darters, tunas, and halfbeaks, accomplishments recognized in his
being the first recipient of the ASIH Gibbs Award for an outstanding body of
published work in systematic ichthyology, and
Whereas Bruce taught summer courses in
Ichthyology, advised numerous graduate and post-graduate students for over 35
years, and during that time taught
us all the meaning of hard work and the finer points of great beers,
and
Whereas the ASIH, its members, and uncounted
colleagues have benefited from Bruce's frank opinions, critique, and advice,
which are often given in a unique and forceful voice, with a firm pounding of
the fist on any nearby surface,
Therefore be it
Resolved that the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, at the end of his seventh decade and
beginning of his eighth, recognizes Bruce B. Collette's contributions to this
society, to systematic Ichthyology, and to his efforts in fostering awareness
of the importance of biodiversity.
Resolution for
copeia editor
michael Douglas,--Whereas Copeia is
the jewel in the crown of the American Society of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists, and
Whereas
Copeia is the leading journal for
publications in ichthyology and herpetology, and
Whereas
editorial oversight and maintenance
of the high quality of Copeia are demanding tasks, requiring absolute devotion to the
journal and the society, and
Whereas
Mike Douglas has faithfully served
the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists as Editor
of Copeia since 1990,
and
Whereas
Mike Douglas has scrupulously
maintained the delicate balance of herpetological and ichthyological
contributions in the journal, and
Whereas
Mike Douglas has overseen the highly
successful transition to online manuscript submission and has incorporated
important cost-saving policies, to the benefit of the society and its members,
and
Whereas
Mike Douglas has, during this
period, turned completely gray and acquired a thicker, scalier skin and more
terrestrial habits, and
Whereas
Mike Douglas is stepping down from
his position as Editor of Copeia, effective the end of 2004
Therefore Be It Resolved
that the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists expresses its most profound appreciation to
Mike Douglas for his many years of selfless service to the society
and to Copeia, and wishes him a most peaceful,
well-deserved respite from these labors.
RESOLUTION
REGARDING THE EPA RULE ON MERCURY.--Whereas
mercury is a toxic, persistent pollutant that accumulates in the food chain,
particularly in aquatic, estuarine, and marine ecosystems,
and
Whereas concentrations of methylmercury can
build up in fish and animal tissues, and
Whereas coal-fired power plants are the
largest remaining source of human-generated mercury emissions in the United
States, and
Whereas
a United Nations Environmental Programme report, compiled by an international
team of experts, says that coal-fired power stations and waste incinerators now
account for around 1,500 tons or 70% of new, quantified anthropogenic mercury
emissions to the atmosphere, and
Whereas the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has announced water quality criteria for the maximum advisable
levels for methylmercury in freshwater and estuarine fish and shellfish to
protect human health because consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish is
the primary route of human exposure to methylmercury, and
Whereas data published by the EPA's Office
of Research and Development revealed extensive contamination of freshwater fish
by methylmercury at levels that exceed concentrations expected to impair the
health of terrestrial and aquatic organisms, and
Whereas the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency proposed two alternatives for controlling mercury emissions from power
plants, one that imposes strict caps on new sources and requires installation
of the most advanced pollution abatement technologies and one that relies on
market incentives to reduce emissions,
Therefore be it resolved that the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the oldest professional society in the United States concerned with the biology and conservation of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles and has a membership of over 3,000 practicing scientists and academic professionals supports the EPA alternative approach that would require power plants to install controls known as "maximum achievable control technology (MACT) under section 112 of the Clean Air Act that would reduce nationwide mercury by 14 tons or about 30 percent by early 2008.
RESOLUTION
REGARDING SALMON.-- Whereas the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
is the oldest professional society in the United States concerned with the
biology and conservation of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles and has a
membership of over 3,000 practicing scientists and academic
professionals, and
Whereas the ASIH, as a professional
organization knowledgeable about the impacts of and interactions between
hatchery- and naturally-reproducing fishes and other taxa, supports NOAA's
stated goal of conservation of sustaining, naturally-spawning
populations, and
Whereas we are encouraged by public
statements by Undersecretary Lautenbacher recognizing the highly variable and
often negative track record of salmon hatcheries as a conservation
tool, and
Whereas continued historical declines of
many salmon Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) and Evolutionarily Significant
Units (ESUs) - despite active hatchery programs - confirm the ineffectiveness
and even counterproductive nature of such efforts, and
Whereas hatcheries succeed as a means of
supporting fisheries, but have repeatedly failed as a tactic for conserving
biodiversity (this failure being the combined result, in part,
of:
*
historical inattention to genetic differences between native and hatchery
stocks;
*
negative ecological interactions between native and hatchery
stocks
*
a lack of appreciation for and understanding of the adaptive genetic uniqueness
of localized ESUs and DPSs and
*
the artificial selection and domestication that occur in hatcheries,
and
Whereas the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists is deeply concerned that adoption of an
"equivalency" policy would establish a dangerous precedent with far-reaching
consequences wherever artificial propagation is used as part of a strategy for
species recovery, and
Whereas we view such a policy as promotion
of artificial propagation in lieu of attention to and correction of actual,
underlying causes of species declines,
Therefore be it
resolved that the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists strongly opposes any decision that would
include counts of hatchery-reared fish or other taxa with naturally-reproducing
individuals in assessing population status. Our misgivings apply especially where an abundance of
hatchery individuals can be used to justify delisting, downgrading, or delaying
of decisions about the conservation status of a stock.
Resolution Regarding NAFO and Thorny Skates.-- Whereas
the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
Organization (NAFO) is responsible for international management of fish stocks
(other than highly migratory species and sedentary species of the continental
shelf) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, and
Whereas
directed fisheries for
thorny skate (Amblyraja
radiata) occur
unregulated in the NAFO Regulatory Area, and
Whereas the NAFO Scientific Council
reported a decline in thorny skate abundance and biomass in the late 1980s and
early 1990s, and
Whereas NAFO has recognized the
vulnerability and special management needs of elasmobranchs by hosting a
symposium on elasmobranch sustainable use and biodiversity
conservation, and
Whereas the National Marine Fisheries
Service has prohibited possession of thorny skates in U.S. waters and have
classified them as "species of concern," and
Whereas the NAFO Scientific Council will
provide further advice on skate status and quotas at the 2004 NAFO annual
meeting,
Therefore Be It
Resolved
that the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists urges the U.S. Departments of State and
Commerce as well as U.S. NAFO Commissioners to raise the issue of NAFO skate
quotas during upcoming bilateral meetings with Canada and the European Union
and to enhance efforts to secure science-based NAFO quotas for thorny skates at
the 2004 NAFO annual meeting.
Resolution Regarding U.N. Ban on Shark Finning.--
Whereas the high commercial value of shark
fins creates an incentive for "finning" -- slicing off a shark's fins and
discarding its carcass in the sea, and
Whereas this wasteful practice remains a
driving force for unsustainable shark mortality in a wide array of fisheries,
and
Whereas the United States led efforts in
the fall of 2003 to secure a United Nations General Assembly (U.N.G.A.)
Resolution that urges countries to consider measures to ensure the long-term
sustainable use of sharks, including the banning of fisheries for shark fins,
and
Whereas the 2003 U.N.G.A. Resolution called
for waste reduction and spotlights fin fisheries, but stops short of calling
for a halt to finning of sharks taken incidentally in other
fisheries, and
Whereas little if any progress has been
made under this Resolution or toward broader implementation of the U.N.
International Plan of Action (IPOA) for Sharks, and
Whereas the U.S. Shark Finning Prohibition
Act of 2000, which banned the practice in federal waters, directs the U.S. to
work towards international finning restrictions, and
Whereas domestic finning bans in countries
such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Oman and Palau are hampered by
enforcement loopholes and could be enhanced by broader finning bans and
stronger international cooperation.
Therefore Be It
Resolved that the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists urges the U.S. Departments of State and
Commerce to build upon the previous U.N. Resolution by proposing and working to
secure an international ban on shark finning at this fall's meeting of the
United Nations General Assembly.
Resolution Regarding White Sharks and CITES.-- Whereas White Sharks (Carcharodon
carcharias) are slow growing and highly migratory fish, and
Whereas these factors combined with natural
rarity in the marine environment (as apex predators) makes this species
exceptionally vulnerable to overexploitation, and
Whereas The IUCN (World Conservation Union)
classified white sharks as "vulnerable" on the 2000 Red List of Threatened
Species, and
Whereas developing regional assessments are
expected to label some populations as "endangered" or even "critically
endangered" later this year, and
Whereas the fins, teeth and jaws of this
highly sought species are exceptionally valuable and enter international trade
as trophies and curios, and
Whereas the U.S. is a major importer of
white shark teeth and jaws and responsible for all of the five white shark
recorded imports in 2002, and
Whereas there are few national protections
for white sharks and no restrictions for this migratory species imposed by
Regional Fishery Management Organizations, and
Whereas inclusion in Appendix II of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) would establish
monitoring programs for trade in white shark parts and require Parties'
Scientific Authorities to demonstrate legal capture and no detriment to the
population from trade before exporting white shark parts, and
Whereas in April 2004, the Shark Working
Group of the CITES Animals Committee reviewed the technical merits
of Australia's white shark listing proposal and most members agreed that the
species appears to meet the criteria for inclusion in Appendix II,
Therefore Be It
Resolved that the American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists urges the United States and other Parties to
CITES to strongly support listing of white sharks in CITES Appendix II at the
13th Conference of the Parties in October
2004.
Certificates
of Appreciation
President
Gregory called on Secretary Donnelly to come forward and present Certificates
of Appreciation to Editor Michael E. Douglas, Historian Margaret M. Stewart,
and Past-President Larry M. Page.
Constitutional
Changes
The
following constitutional changes, approved by the Board of Governors in the
spring of 2004, were unanimously accepted by the membership. The ASIH constitution is posted on the
ASIH website (http://www.asih.org/info/about.html). Secretary Donnelly presented the rationale for the changes
prior to the vote.
The first change was
to Article III of the Constitution.
The categories of membership were changed to reflect current practice
(there is no differentiation between Regular and Foreign members). We created a new category of Regular
membership (no journal). This
category was created to accommodate those who want to support the activities of
the society without receiving a journal.
Article III: Membership
- SECTION 2 -- OLD VERSION
Section 2. The
membership of the Society shall consist of the following classes:
a.
Active members who pay annual dues in the following categories: Student,
Foreign, Regular, Associate, and Sustaining.
Article III: Membership
- SECTION 2 -- NEW VERSION:
Section 2. The
membership of the Society shall consist of the following classes:
a.
Active members who pay annual dues in the following categories: Student,
Regular, Associate, and Sustaining.
Secretary Donnelly
described the second constitutional change proposed because of current
practice. The Distinguished
Fellows category was created several years ago but we do not have equal numbers
of ichthyologists and herpetologists as mandated by the constitution. .
Past-President Page suggested that this category of membership could be
removed from the constitution to reflect current practice.
Article III: Membership
- SECTION 4 -- OLD VERSION:
Section 4.
Distinguished Fellows.
a.
Distinguished Fellows shall be elected by the Board of Governors from among
North American members of the Society who have attained distinction as
investigators and/or have made noteworthy contributions to the
Society.
b.
Nominees for Distinguished Fellows shall have been a member of the Society for
a period of 20 years or more.
c.
The number of Distinguished Fellows shall not exceed 20 at any one time and not
more than six shall be elected in any one year. They shall be equally divided
among ichthyologists and herpetologists.
d.
Distinguished Fellows shall be nominated by petition which shall be signed by
ten or more members of the Society. This petition shall list the scientific
achievements and services rendered by the nominee. The petition shall be
addressed to the Secretary at least two months before the annual
meeting.
e.
Distinguished Fellows shall be listed on the inside front cover of
COPEIA.
NEW VERSION: Article III: Membership -
SECTION 4
Section 4. This section will be
deleted.
The third
constitutional change was generated by effect of the weak economy on society
finances. The ASIH dues are among
the lowest for professional scientific societies, however our dues have not
kept pace with expenses. The
members of EXEC realized that a dues increase required a constitutional change
which requires one year. This slow
response time is not a good practice.
The new bylaw places the responsibility for the dues schedule on the
Board of Governors. The
change in the bylaws removes the amount of dues paid as follows:
BYLAWS - ARTICLE I,
SECTION 3 -- OLD VERSION
Article I:
Dues
Section 1. Annual
dues shall be payable 1 January, in advance. COPEIA shall not be sent to those in arrears for dues. Upon
payment of arrearage, plus a late fee calculated as 10% of the annual dues, the
former member shall be reinstated.
Section 2. A service
charge calculated by the Secretary to recover actual costs may be billed
subscribers requiring special billing procedures.
Section 3. The
following is the schedule for dues and subscriptions to be paid in United
States dollars or equivalent:
Student Members $30.00 annually, Regular Members (domestic and foreign)
$60.00 annually, Associate Members $10.00 annually, Institutional Subscribers
$100.00 annually, Sustaining members $75.00 annually. Life Members: $1500 in a single payment or in four equal
consecutive annual payments of $375.
BYLAWS - ARTICLE I,
SECTION 3 -- NEW VERSION
Article I:
Dues
Section 1. Annual
dues shall be payable 1 January, in advance. COPEIA shall not be sent to those
in arrears for dues. Upon payment of arrearage, plus a late fee calculated as
10% of the annual dues, the former member shall be
reinstated.
Section 2. A service
charge calculated by the Secretary to recover actual costs may be billed
subscribers requiring special billing procedures.
Section 3. The
schedule of dues will be estimated by the Treasurer, proposed by the Executive
Committee, and approved by the Board of Governors to meet the financial needs
of the society.
The final
constitutional change was initiated to recognize Robert K. Johnson's service to
the ASIH. Bob Johnson served the
society in several ways including a stint as editor, the chair of the Long Rang
Planning and Policy Committee, and as Secretary. This constitutional change adds the Robert K. Johnson Award
Committee to the list of Standing Committees.
BYLAWS - ARTICLE VIII
(Committees, SECTION 5) -- OLD VERSION
Article VIII. Committees
Section 5. Standing Committees are provided for
separately in the CONSTITUTION and/or BYLAWS, and/or are those which must be
renewed yearly to conduct society business. Standing Committees are as follows:
ANBM
Annual
Business Meeting
BOFG
Board
of Governors
EDBD
Editorial
Board
EDPC
Editorial
Policy
Committee
ENFC
Endowment
and Finance Committee
EXEC
Executive
Committee
GFAC
Gaige
Fund Award Committee
GSPC
Committee
on Graduate Student Participation
HSFC
Henry
S. Fitch Award Committee
LOCL
Local
Committee for the Annual Meeting
LRPP
Long
Range Planning and Policy Committee
MMGT
Meetings
Management Committee
MPLN
Meetings
Planning Committee
NOMC
Nominating
Committee
RFAC
Raney
Fund Award Committee
RHGC
Robert
H. Gibbs, Jr., Memorial Award Committee
STAC
Student
Awards Committee
NEW VERSION - BYLAWS -
ARTICLE VIII (Committees, SECTION 5)
Article VIII. Committees
Section 5. Standing Committees are provided for
separately in the CONSTITUTION and/or BYLAWS, and/or are those which must be
renewed yearly to conduct society business. Standing Committees are as follows:
ANBM
Annual
Business Meeting
BOFG
Board
of Governors
EDBD
Editorial
Board
EDPC
Editorial
Policy
Committee
ENFC
Endowment
and Finance Committee
EXEC
Executive
Committee
GFAC
Gaige
Fund Award Committee
GSPC
Committee
on Graduate Student Participation
HSFC
Henry
S. Fitch Award Committee
LOCL
Local
Committee for the Annual Meeting
LRPP
Long
Range Planning and Policy Committee
MMGT
Meetings
Management Committee
MPLN
Meetings
Planning Committee
NOMC
Nominating
Committee
RFAC
Raney
Fund Award Committee
RHGC
Robert
H. Gibbs, Jr., Memorial Award Committee
RKJC
Robert
K. Johnson Award Committee