As calls are made to revamp fisheries and ocean management because of declines or changes in marine populations around the world, a panel at American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference in San Francisco will look at whether advances in science and innovations in technology can produce a spectrum of sustainable fisheries and minimize environmental degradation within an ecosystem.

Moderated by Dr. Terry Quinn and Dr. Vidar Wespestad, the Scientific Advisor for the American Fisheries Research Foundation, the panel includes speakers from Alaska, Hawaii, Norway, Seattle, Rhode Island, Montana and Indiana who will seek to uncover the myths and realities about successes and failures in fishery management and the role science plays in the process. A primary goal is to develop common ground among scientists regarding new directions for science and technology to improve the management of information and advice.

While many fisheries around the world are depleted, there are examples of good stock assessment methods and population models; technological solutions that make fisheries more efficient, selective, and less destructive; and there are examples of fish stocks that have recovered and habitats that are protected. Even with the best available science, are sustainable fisheries possible and are reports in the popular media helping or hindering this effort?