By LAWS

Gender in Aquaculture & Fisheries Section By Laws

(December 31, 2016; as revised 26 January 2017)

ARTICLE I. NAME

1. The organization shall be known as the “GENDER IN AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES SECTION” of the ASIAN FISHERIES SOCIETY.”

2. The registered address of the Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section (GAFS) shall be the same as that of the Asian Fisheries Society.

ARTICLE II.   OBJECTIVES

1. The general objectives of the GAFS shall be those of the Asian Fisheries Society as defined in Society’s Constitution.

2. The specific objectives for the GAFS shall be:

a. To promote equitable effective interaction and cooperation among scientists/academics, technicians, fisheries officers and non-governmental organization experts involved in issues related to gender in fisheries and aquaculture with the objective of advancing research and practice in Asia-Pacific and other regions of the world. The aim is to welcome and facilitate research activity, sharing of information and publication of research results;

b. To give greater visibility to and increase awareness of the importance of incorporating gender and more particularly women in fisheries and aquaculture interventions and to contribute to the development of these issues within these sectors. The action could include advocating for including gender issues within international programs and organizations;

c. To advocate for the advancement of women within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, including lobbying for gender issues within national and international bodies, collaborating with national and international organizations and any other measures as appropriate; and

d. To promote the establishment of local networks of individuals (scientists, technicians, practitioners, managers and others) and organizations involved in (or linked to) gender issues in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors and to collaborate and cooperate with other networks and civil society organizations with similar objectives.

3. The furtherance of the above objectives shall be accomplished by:

a. Providing an effective research publication mechanism, in the form of special issues or sections of the Asian Fisheries Science journal or other suitable journals, the Newsletter and social media that facilitate communication among members and disseminates research and other relevant information on gender in fisheries and aquaculture;

b. Holding, on a regular basis, an AFS symposium on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries as a gathering of scientists, technicians and interested stakeholders who, in their professional capacities, can freely discuss broad issues and specific topics related to gender in fisheries and aquaculture, and publishing the proceedings;

c. Providing further opportunities, as appropriate, on an equitable basis for fisheries scientists, technicians and stakeholders to gather by holding regular meetings, symposia, workshops, conferences and other gatherings, and research;

d. Addressing important issues related to gender in fisheries and aquaculture interests in the region and globally;

e. Facilitating channels of communication among members, stakeholders involved in the sector and the society at large to further knowledge on gender and women’s issues in aquaculture and fisheries; and

f. Seeking collaboration with stakeholders, with a special focus on women in the sector.

ARTICLE III.  MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership shall be open to any AFS member in good standing who is interested in the furtherance of GAFS objectives and
2. All officers and committee members must be full members in good standing of the GAFS and are each entitled to one vote on all matters requiring the approval of the Section membership.

ARTICLE IV.  ADMINISTRATION

1. The GAF Section shall be administrated by an elected Executive Committee of 9 members, plus the Past Chair and the Newsletter Editor. The officers of the Executive Committee will consist of the Chair, Past Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Election Committee Coordinator, Constitution Committee Coordinator and Membership Committee Coordinator, Newsletter Editor and two other elected members.

2. The members of the Executive Committee of the Section, except the Past-Chair and Newsletter Editor, shall be elected by ballot during the triennial General Meeting of the Section, which will be held in conjunction with the Symposium on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries. Nominations will be widely encouraged from among the members, and a diversity of nominations sought from women and men, members of different ages, areas of expertise and countries.

3. Each officer of the Section shall hold office for a triennial term until the conclusion of the next General Meeting of the Section.

4. The retiring Vice-Chair will automatically become the Chair of the incoming Executive Committee, while the retiring Chair will become, as Past Chair, a member of the incoming Executive Committee.

5. In the event of a vacancy in any office, the Executive Committee, by majority vote, may appoint one of its members to the vacant office, and the member so appointed may continue in office until the next General Meeting following the date of the appointment.

6. The Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three members, two of whom shall be members of the Executive Committee, who will prepare a list of the candidates to fill the offices of Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Election Committee Coordinator, Constitution Committee Coordinator and Membership Committee Coordinator. The Nominating Committee will contact all potential nominees to ensure their willingness to serve if elected and to obtain from them copies of Curriculum Vitae and a short statement to members.

7. The Executive Committee shall direct and regulate the general affairs of the GAF Section. It may co-opt members and appoint subcommittees to consider and report to the Executive Committee upon any matter(s) referred to them by the Executive Committee.

8. In any matter concerning interpretation of the By-laws of the Section, the decision shall rest with the Executive Committee. In such decisions, a simple majority of the Executive Committee members present and voting shall be sufficient.

9. Article IV Sections 2 and 6 pertaining to methods for the election of officers and elected members shall not apply to the election of the GAFS’s first Executive Committee.

10. The Executive Committee shall appoint a Newsletter Editor, following the election of a new Executive Committee. The Editor will automatically become a member of the Executive Committee.

11. At the triennial General Meeting of the Section, the Chair will present the Triennial report, the Secretary and Treasurer shall present a statement outlining the activities of the Society during the period since the last General Meeting, current financial status, assets and liabilities of the Section, audited and certified by the Treasurer and the Chair of the Section.

ARTICLE V.  DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. CHAIR: The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee and shall oversee the appointment of all committees.  The Chair or the designated alternate shall represent the GAFS to the Asian Fisheries Society.  With the assistance of the Executive Committee, the Chair shall prepare a triennial report on Section activities to the Executive Committee in time for inclusion in the agenda of the Meeting of the Section.

2. VICE CHAIR: The Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.  The Vice-Chair shall serve as the Rules Officer of the Section to (a) assure Section compliance with these By-laws and (b) coordinate the adoption of any changes to the By-laws.  The Vice-Chair shall also perform such duties as the Section or Chair may assign to the Vice-Chair.

3. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the Section and the Executive Committee, prepare the agenda for these meetings, and keep accurate and complete records of all officers and committees and of all business transacted by the Executive Committee and Section.

4. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall safeguard the funds of the Section. They shall issue all statements of financial obligations owing to the Section; account for all funds, properties and disbursements; and pay all accounts owed by the Section and authorized by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer will be responsible for commissioning an external audit of the financial transactions and accounts of the Section.

5. PAST-CHAIR: The Past Chair shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and will undertake any duties which may be assigned by the Chair.

6. THE ELECTIONS COORDINATOR: The Elections Coordinator, with the assistance of the committee members, will be responsible for: (a) implementing the elections procedures as stated in the Section By-Laws; (b) conducting the elections according to the procedures; (c) organizing the installation of officers; (d) coordinating the orientation session of the newly elected officers; (e) forwarding the election results to the Chair for announcement; and (f) producing Certificates of Recognition for the officers.

7. CONSTITUTION COORDINATOR: The Constitution Coordinator will be responsible for: (a) ensuring that the first By-laws goes through a transparent and accountable pathway until it is lodged with the AFS Council, and is subsequently reviewed and ratified by the members of the Section; (b) taking the lead in formulating implementation of the By-laws; and (c) monitoring the need for further changes to the By-laws.

8. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE COORDINATOR: The Membership Committee Coordinator will be responsible for keeping records of the GAFS Section members, communicating with members on registration matters, and seeking new members.

9. ELECTED MEMBERS: The elected members of the Executive Committee shall be responsible for contributing to the strategic and operational work of the Section, and may be requested to undertake other tasks as requested by the Executive Committee.

10. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee shall have authority to determine policy and conduct business consistent with the objectives of the Section. The Executive Committee may authorize the disbursement of Section funds for specific tasks and operational expenses.  No property or capital equipment exceeding US$2,000 may be purchased with Section funds without the approval of the membership.

 The Executive Committee shall maintain an awareness of current developments with respect to the Objectives of the Section, especially to give greater visibility to and increase awareness of the importance of incorporating gender and more particularly women in fisheries and aquaculture interventions and to contribute to the development of these issues within these sectors. The Executive Committee is responsible for aiding the Chair in preparation of the Section report. 

ARTICLE VI.  MEETINGS

1. The triennial General Meeting of the Section shall be held in conjunction with the Symposium on Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries and should be conducted at least on a triennial basis.

2. The General Meeting of the Section shall be held to receive reports from the Executive Committee on the activities of the past term, to receive an audited statement of income and expenditure and a balance sheet of assets and liabilities, to elect the Executive Committee and its officers for the next term, to transact general business of which due notice has been given, and to consider By-laws, where necessary, of the Section.

3. In addition to the triennial General Meeting, the Executive Committee will hold periodic meetings provided that a quorum consisting of the Chair or Vice-Chair or both, Secretary and four members of the Section are present in person or by teleconference. Business and voting of the Executive Committee may be conducted by electronic mail and/or by other electronic communications.

4. Scientific sessions or symposia on topics of interest to the membership may be organized by the Executive Committee, independently or in conjunction with the Asian Fisheries Forum or any other organization as deemed appropriate, and at such other times that the Executive Committee may see fit.

ARTICLE VII.  BY-LAWS

1. The Executive Committee may propose By-laws from time to time, the adoption of which will improve the functioning of the Executive Committee and/or of the Section.

2. Amendments to By-laws may be brought to a vote of the membership by a petition signed by not less than ten members in good standing or by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

3. Amendments may be adopted by vote of the membership during the General Meeting, or by electronic ballot. In the case of electronic ballot, upon notification by the Chair, the Secretary shall prepare and process an electronic ballot regarding proposed By-laws changes. The membership at large must be given thirty days in which to return By-laws ballots.

4. Amendments shall be adopted when a two-thirds (2/3) majority votes favourably on a proposal. Unless otherwise specified, amendments shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the membership.

5. Once amended, the Secretary shall send an e-copy of the revised By-laws to the President and Executive Officer, AFS

ARTICLE VIII.  FUNCTIONAL LINKAGE AND REPORTING

1. As a Section of the Asian Fisheries Society, GAFS will submit annual reports to the AFS Council, will participate in the Council Meetings at the invitation of the Council and will contribute news articles on its activities and related matters to the AFS Newsletter.