FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2024
Contact: Beth Beard, [email protected]
(301) 453-5818
ANA PARMA AWARDED INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES SCIENCE PRIZE
Ana Parma, Ph.D., Principal Scientist at the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET) in Argentina, has been named as the 2024 recipient of the International Fisheries Science Prize. Dr. Parma will receive the award at the 9th World Fisheries Congress in Seattle, Washington, on March 6, 2024. The International Fisheries Science Prize honors an organization or individual for their contribution to global fisheries science or conservation. The prize is only awarded every four years at the World Fisheries Congress, and it includes a medal and a monetary award.
Parma is an internationally recognized expert in fisheries modeling, assessment, conservation, management, and stakeholder engagement. Perhaps most widely known for her work on the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Parma played a critical role in the successful development and implementation of a management strategy for this contentious and dwindling fishery. This effort, and countless others across the world, exemplifies her contribution to advancing and applying science to critical conservation challenges. Her skills include incredible prowess in assessing and making use of complex data, and her deep understanding of the fisheries sector.
At the other end of the spectrum of fisheries research and conservation, Parma is also well-known for her pioneering work on small-scale local fisheries, including scallops and sea urchins in South America. Beyond just traditional research publications, her leadership in workshops and on-the-ground collaborations working with small-scale fishers has made an even bigger impact in this area.
Parma is known as a supportive colleague and skilled mentor. Nomination materials noted her “rare combination of interpersonal skill and technical ability” and that “she listens, she encourages, she challenges, and she makes every result better than it would be without her.” Another nomination mentions that “I’m not sure what shines more brightly – her brilliance, diversity of input, her capacity to contribute to fisheries no matter the size or scale, or her empathy, generosity, and good humor.”
Parma is a Principal Scientist with the Argentine National Scientific and Technological Research Council, a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, a William R. and Lenore Mote Eminent Scholar, and a Fellow in the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation. She has served on the editorial boards of prominent fisheries journals and been a member of several international fisheries boards, commissions and advisory panels.
“It is with immense pleasure that we present the International Fisheries Science Prize to Dr. Parma,” said Julian Olden, Prize Committee Chairperson. “We would be hard pressed to think of a more deserving candidate than Dr. Parma, given her longstanding dedication to fisheries modeling, assessment, conservation, stakeholder engagement, and management. We are honored to recognize the breadth of her local, regional, and international contributions to fisheries conservation, education, and mentorship of scientists, and her unwavering commitment to meaningful engagement with the public and in the policy arena.”
The World Fisheries Congress in Seattle will be a gathering of more than 1,500 international fisheries experts to discuss both freshwater and marine fisheries issues around the globe. It has been held every four years since 1992. In addition to the prize presentation, Parma will also be giving a plenary address at the Congress.
# # #
Caption: Ana Parma, Ph.D., recipient of the 2024 International Fisheries Science Prize.
Editor’s note: Contact Beth Beard for in-person or online media registration for the World Fisheries Congress, March 3-7, 2024. A livestream of Parma’s award presentation and plenary address will be available at 2:00 pm PST on March 6th.
Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.