CMBC successfully hosted the North American Association of Fisheries Economists (NAAFE) Forum at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, CA from March 24-27, 2025. CMBC had been working with NOAA SWFSC colleagues since 2023 to plan the conference and manage the logistics, and was able to follow through on the commitment to host on behalf of the entire planning team. We are all incredibly proud of the resulting conference.
The Forum program consisted of an evening Welcome Reception at the Marine Conservation and Technology Facility on Monday, March 24. Side activities for attendees on Monday included tours of NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection, as well as explorations of Scripps Pier.
The Auditorium at the Scripps Seaside Forum and its Lobby acted as home-base for the week, with ample room for all attendees to register, gather for the plenaries, and network during meal and coffee breaks. The afternoon poster sessions were also held in the Auditorium.
Over 90 oral presentations and posters were presented across three concurrent sessions and the Tuesday afternoon poster session.
Attendees noted that the sessions they found the most interesting included "The Economics of Natural Capital: Clarifying Resource Rent" and "Canada’s Ghost Gear Management," as well as sessions focused on bioeconomics and seafood markets and trade. One attendee commented that “it was great to see the excellent quality and interdisciplinarity” within the sessions.
On Wednesday evening, the Banquet Dinner was held at the nearby La Jolla Woman’s Club. Two UC San Diego shuttle buses to transport attendees from Scripps Oceanography campus to downtown La Jolla. Locally caught fish (wahoo and tuna) were donated by the San Diego Fisherman’s Working Group and served at the Banquet. San Diego guitarist, Fred Benedetti, provided live musical entertainment for the banquet.
On Friday, attendees could opt to attend Legacy Whale Watch trip or a recreational fishing trip, hosted by the Sportfishing Association of California. On Saturday March 29, there was an optional visit to the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in Downtown San Diego. Additional activities that participants could explore included visits to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, kayaking in La Jolla Cove, and hikes in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.
The conference and associated week of activities transpired successfully, and attendees provided positive feedback regarding the NAAFE Forum. One attendee remarked, “I most enjoyed networking with colleagues and sharing ideas for future research,” and another commented that they appreciated, “social events for networking, and presentations for updates in fisheries economic trend content.”
CMBC extends its thanks to all of our essential co-organizers who contributed to the success of this conference. The next NAAFE Forum will occur in March 2027 in Beaufort, North Carolina, hosted by Duke University.