UBC fisheries researcher named 2022 AAAS fellow

Dr. Rashid Sumaila, a leading interdisciplinary fisheries economist, has been elected to the latest class of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows. The fellowship, granted by the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, is among the most distinct honours within the global scientific community. 

Dr. Sumaila was recognized by AAAS in the section of atmospheric and hydrospheric sciences for his “distinguished research into how economics, through integration with ecology and other disciplines, can be used to ensure that environmental resources are sustainably managed for the benefit of all generations.” 

“AAAS is excited to announce the newest class of fellows from across the scientific enterprise in a tradition dating back nearly 150 years and to honour their broad range of achievements,” said Dr. Sudip Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals.  

“This is an honour for me, and a recognition of the subfield of ‘deep’ interdisciplinary ocean and fisheries economics—a field that seeks to open up economics a little bit to make it more interdisciplinary, more diverse and more inclusive,” said Dr. Sumaila. “The ocean is present at the local, national and global scales, and to sustain it we need partnerships and the co-creation of ideas, insights from, and actions taken by governments and peoples from all over the world.”

Dr. Sumaila is a University Killam Professor with the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC, as well as a Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has experience working in fisheries and natural resource projects in Norway, Canada, the North Atlantic region, Namibia, Southern and West African, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea. Dr. Sumaila received his PhD in economics) from the University of Bergen and his BSc in quantity surveying from the Ahmadu Bello University. In 2017, he won the Volvo Environment Prize.

“This is wonderful recognition and well deserved,” said Dr. Meigan Aronson, Dean, UBC Science. “Rashid has emerged as a leading global voice on fisheries bio-economics, and his research has focused attention on subsidies policy, illegal fishing and resource management at all levels of governments around the world.” 

The 2022 class of AAAS Fellows includes 506 scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines who are being recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. AAAS Fellows are a distinguished cadre of scientists, engineers, and innovators who have been recognized for their achievements across disciplines ranging from research, teaching, and technology, to administration in academia, industry, and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.