OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE

Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography (JSFO) has firstly established the area of Fisheries Oceanography in the world !!

“Fisheries Oceanographywas defined in the narrow sense as “Oceanography related to the development, aquaculture, utilization, and preservation of fisheries resources, and which also provides the forecasting methods on distributions and abundance of the resources by Prof. Michitaka Uda, the president of the Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography (JSFO) at the time of establishment. He suggested the main research field of Fisheries Oceanography as followings: (1) Oceanographic conditions regulating the distribution of the important species for fisheries; (2) Oceanographic approaches to estimate the stock abundance and productivity of the research area; (3) Oceanographic conditions to forecast the changes on the distribution and stock abundance; and (4) Oceanographic contributions related to the enhancement and development of the productivity of fishery ground. JSFO has picked up the scientific problems on local fisheries, and promoted to study in cooperation with local scientists and fishermen. Recent active research fields in JSFO are, as well as the study on the relationship between marine organisms distributions and oceanographic conditions, acoustic assessment of fish abundance, oceanographic approach using satellite image, population dynamics, modeling approach, etc. In particular, there are the studies that focus not only on the fishery stock but also on the marine environment and/or ecosystem dynamics itself. Research field also has extended to world- wide as well as the coastal area around Japan. These changes in the JSFO seem to correspond the broader definition on fisheries oceanography as “The study of oceanic processes affecting marine ecosystems and the relationship of these ecosystems to the abundance and availability of fish(P. Harrison and T. Parsons, 2000 Fisheries Oceanography, Blackwell science) under international consensus.

Domestic Activities

Every year JSFO holds the annual scientific meeting during summer season at the Metropolitan area (Tokyo and neighboring cities) and local cities by turns. JSFO also holds the symposiums at the annual meeting and at the beginning of the fiscal year, with a common theme for all members. As for the special theme related to the local area, JSFO also holds the local symposium at about five locations every year. Hokkaido, Joban-Kashimanada, Sagami Bay, Kumanonada, Hiroshima Bay, Nagasaki, etc. are actively held the symposiums recently.

History of JSFO

1962: The Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography was established. First president was Prof. Michitaka Uda, and the number of the members was 101. The bulletin of the Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography “Suisan Kenkyu Kaihopublished twice a year. JSFO was originated from the symposium on interaction between organisms and environment, co-sponsored by The Oceanographic Society of Japan, and the Japanese Society of Fisheries Science.
1986: The 25th Anniversary Symposium Fisheries and Fisheries Oceanography in the Coming Centurywas held in Tokyo and invited Dr. D.H. Cushing (U.K.) and Dr. R. Lasker (U.S.A.) as keynote speakers. Publication of the bulletin changed four times per year.
1988: The name of JSFO in Japanese changed to “Suisan Kaiyo Gakkai
1989: The name of the bulletin in Japanese changed to “Suisan Kaiyo Kenkyuafter volume 53.
1991: The 30th Anniversary Symposium “Promising Fisheries Oceanography in Japanwas held in Tokyo.
1992: Scientific journal “Fisheries Oceanographyfirst published from the Blackwell Scientific Publications (U.K.), as JSFO was the sponsored association.
1999: Size and design of the bulletin was renewed.
2000: The “Matsumiya foundationwas set up to help young scientist to go abroad, according to the wish of late Prof. Yoshiharu Matsumiya's family (he passed away in 2000).
2001: Fisheries Oceanography became the international journal of JSFO.
2002: JSFO will hold the 40th Anniversary Symposium in Tokyo.

Award

JSFO Uda Award was established in 1996 for one person to honor the great contribution to the Fisheries Oceanography.
JSFO Best Paper Award was established in 1999 for two papers to honor the most remarkable papers during last two years in the Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography and Fisheries Oceanography.

Journals

Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography (Suisan Kaiyo Kenkyu): Since 1962, published 4 times per year. Original articles (Japanese or English) and commentary, information, report on symposium or meeting, and so on. This journal offers appropriate opportunity to publish or inform the local integrated work for both scientists and even non-scientist.
Fisheries Oceanography : Since 1992, published 4 times per year. Evaluated high quality even though the journal recently starts. This journal keeps high impact factor (1.968, 2001) in fishery science and oceanography both, ranked 2nd and 5th, respectively.

Members

Total number: 955 (as of Aug. 31, 2001)
（regular member: 729, foreign member: 42, senior member: 61, student member: 31, honorary member: 7, supporting member: 35, institute member: 50）
Membership dues (including bulletin of the Japanese Society of Fisheries Oceanography and Fisheries Oceanography subscription)
regular member, foreign member: \10,000 senior member (>65 years): \7,000 student member: \6,000 supporting member: \30,000 institute member: \20,000

International Activities

JSFO actively concerns the international research programs such as GLOBEC, PICES, IGBP, corresponded to the world-wide field expansion on the issues related to marine resources and environments. For example, recently JSFO contributes the following international activities:
*JSFO will support "The 5th International Conference on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS 2001)" held in Kobe and Awajishima at November 2001.
*JSFO supported GLOBEC-SPACC workshop GLOBEC-SPACC Workshop on the Causes and Consequences of Climate-induced Changes in Pelagic Fish Productivity in East Asiaheld in Kobe at August 2001.
*JSFO supported the 9th PICES Annual meeting held in Hakodate at October 2000.
*JSFO co-sponsored Japan-Korea Joint GLOBEC Workshop on “Long-term Variations in the Kuroshio and the East China Sea Ecosystems held in Pusan, Korea at August 2000.
*JSFO cooperated GLOBEC international symposium “Ecosystem Dynamics of the Kuroshio-Oyashio Transition Regionheld in Mutsu and Hakodate at August 1998.