The American Fisheries Society (AFS) announced its 2024 Fellows during the society's annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 18, 2024. Among the newly elected eight Fellows, CHEN Yushun, Professor from the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was honored as the only scholar from China and one of two non-U.S. academics to receive the distinction this year.

Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society is one of the world’s oldest and most influential nonprofit organizations dedicated to fisheries and aquatic sciences. The prestigious AFS Fellow designation is awarded annually to members who demonstrate outstanding scientific achievements and exceptional service to the advancement of fisheries and aquatic biology.

Prof. Chen has dedicated his career to fisheries resource management and aquatic ecosystem conservation, with a focus on comparative ecology across global river systems, such as the Yangtze and Mississippi River basins. He has authored more than 110 academic papers and edited key works, including Water Ecology and Conservation of the Yangtze and Mississippi Rivers.

For over a decade, Prof. Chen has served as the primary liaison for the Yangtze-Mississippi River research network and a series of international symposia on river basin ecology. He has coordinated six academic symposiums between China and the U.S., fostering scientific exchange and collaboration between the two countries in the field of fisheries and aquatic biology.

In recognition of his contributions, Prof. Chen previously received the AFS Distinguished Service Award in 2017. He has also been selected for several prestigious talent programs organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The election of Dr. Chen Yushun as an AFS Fellow underscores the growing importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges related to aquatic ecosystems and sustainable fisheries.