William (Bill) Karp, University of Washington, has been active within ICES community since the late 1980s. Presented with ICES Outstanding Achievement Award in 2015, his accomplishments within the organization are many and include chairing expert groups, convening/co-convening a Symposium on Fisheries Acoustics (1987) and two ICES/FAO
Symposia on the Collection and Interpretation of Fishery Independent Information (2010, 2014), chairing the
Steering Group on Ecosystem Surveys, Science and Technology (2009-2013). Bill has also been instrumental in leading initiatives which
developed recommendations for collecting scientific-quality acoustic data from commercial fishing vessels (2007),
address challenges in a net zero world (ongoing), and build capacity through transdisciplinary, multi-institutional
post graduate education (ongoing).
We asked the new President what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for our organization:
"The coming years will bring many opportunities for ICES, but we
will also be faced with challenges as we adapt to a changing world. Our ability to adapt is evident from the way we
have responded to changing national priorities, increasing expectations for an ecosystem approach in advisory
services, changing and increasing needs for data and information, and our remarkable flexibility in maintaining
operations during the pandemic.
Fully addressing challenges related to inclusion, equity, and diversity
will be essential; development of a gender equality plan for ICES and initiation of the Strategic Initiative on the
Integration of Early Career Scientists are important first steps.
As our network grows, through engagement with
new partners and strengthened collaboration with existing partners such as PICES, and through our participation in
the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, we will see new opportunities for demonstrating
our leadership in science and advice and contributing to the shared goals of the decade. Prioritization, best use of
available resources, and responsiveness to the changing needs of our member countries and will continue to be
essential."
