Dr. Tetsuo Kuwamura (Professor, Chukyo University), a former president of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ), passed away at the age of 73 on January 28, 2024. The ISJ extends its sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues throughout the world.

The 2022 (56th) Annual Meeting of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ) will be held as an on-site/remote hybrid meeting in Sugimoto Campus, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, from 17 to 20 September, 2022. Information regarding registration and mixer fees and other details will be provided on the ISJ official website (https://www.fish-isj.jp/index-e.html). For further information, please contact General Affairs Secretary of ISJ, Nozomu Muto (Tokai University, e-mail: nzmutou@tsc.u-tokai.ac.jp).

Hiroshi Senou, the President

Dr. Tomoaki Goto (Professor, Iwate University), a member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ), passed away at the age of 54 due to a sea accident during field survey on March 17, 2022. The ISJ extends its sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues throughout the world.

The Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC) is accepting nominations for the Bleeker Awards for 2022. The award, named after Pieter Bleeker, honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of ichthyology in the Indo-Pacific. Two awards in ichthyology will be conferred; one for distinguished contributions to Systematics and one for distinguished contributions to Ecology.

The first Bleeker awards were presented in 2005 at the 7th IPFC to John Randall (systematics) and Howard Choat (ecology). The recipients in 2009, 2013 and 2017 were William Eschmeyer (systematics), Peter Sale (ecology), Gerald Allen (systematics), Jeffrey Leis (ecology), Keiichi Matsuura (systematics) and David Bellwood (ecology), respectively.

Nominations are now solicited for the fifth round of the Bleeker Awards for Excellence in Indo-Pacific Ichthyology. The prize is awarded to an ichthyologist for “an outstanding body of published work in Indo-Pacific ichthyology, mainly in systematics OR ecology”. The awards will be presented at the 11th IPFC, to be held from 20-24^th November 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Nominations may be made by any ichthyologist, including self-nominations, and should include the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and up to a maximum of four pages detailing the nominee’s specific contributions and their impacts on Indo-Pacific ichthyology.

The award for Systematics includes, but is not limited to, contributions to taxonomy, phylogenetics, phylogeography, speciation and evolutionary processes.

The award for Ecology includes, but is not limited to, contributions to population, community, functional, behavioural and evolutionary ecology.

A maximum of four nominators are permissible per nomination. No further or additional endorsements from individuals are permissible. Members of the IPFC Bleeker Awards committee cannot make nominations. Nominations are for individuals only and cannot be joint nominations or made for organisations or institutions.

Nominations should be submitted as an e-mail attachment by 30^th April 2023 to the Chair of the Bleeker Awards Committee, Dr Tom Trnski, Auckland Museum, New Zealand (email: ttrnski@aucklandmuseum.com)

Circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and safety of every conference attendee involved being our priority, we must announce the postponement of IPFC2021 in Auckland until 20-24 November 2023 (see https://www.ipfc11-asfb.ac.nz/).

The Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ) will subsidize a portion of the annual membership fee for the next fiscal year (August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022) for members who are in financial need due to the Corona virus.

Eligibility: General members, student members and foreign members
Subsidy amount: Equivalent to four-fifths of the annual membership fee

Protection of personal information and privacy: Application information will be used only for this purpose

If you are an applicable member, please fill out the form below and answer the questions in order to apply. After the Executive Committee confirms your application, we will contact you as an approved member in the name of the President, and ask you to transfer the prescribed amount of money for the annual membership fee.

Grant Application Form (application period: July 1-20, 2021)

New members are also eligible for this grant for a limited period. The annual membership fee must be paid by Friday, July 30, 2021 (Japan Standard Time: JST; UTC + 9). Those applying as a new member may also apply for this subsidy, but the "application for membership" and "payment of annual membership fee" cannot be made on the same day. If you are a new member, please complete the "Application for Membership" by Thursday, July 15 (JST), and send the "Grant Application Form" by Tuesday, July 20 (JST).

Gento Shinohara
the President of ISJ

Dr. Izumi Nakamura (Maizuru Fisheries Research Station, Kyoto University), a former council member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ), passed away at the age of 82 on March 22, 2021. The ISJ extends its sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues throughout the world.

Dr. Teruya Uyeno (Curator Emeritus, National Museum of Nature and Science), an honorary member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ), passed away at the age of 90 on February 23, 2021. The ISJ extends its sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues throughout the world.

Memorial papers of a former honorary member Dr. John E. Randall, who passed away this April, have been published in the Ichthyological Research and the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.

Matsuura, K. 2020. Obituary: John Ernest Randall (1924-2020). Ichthyological Research, 67(4): 559-562.
Ida, H. 2020. Memorial: Dr. John E. Randall. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, 67(2): 310-315. (In Japanese.)

Dr. Hitoshi Ida described the impact of Dr. John E. Randall on Japanese fish taxonomists through the Society.

Public Relations Committee

Interview and memorial papers of a former council member Dr. Yasuhiko Taki, who passed away this March, have been published in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.

Hayashi, M. and K. Okabe. 2020. Interview to Dr. Yasuhiko Taki. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, 67(29): 300-308. (In Japanese.)
Kohno, H. 2020. Memorial: Dr. Yasuhiko Taki. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, 67(2): 310-315. (In Japanese.)

Mr. Masayoshi Hayashi and Dr. Kyu Okabe are members of the History Committee, who made the interview about 2 years ago. Dr. Hiroshi Kohno was a student of the late Dr. Yasuhiko Taki.

Public Relations Committee

News of the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey M. Leis, formerly of the Australian Museum, as a new honorary member has been announced on the Museum's blog.
For more information, please see the following website.
https://australian.museum/blog/amri-news/congratulations-to-dr-jeff-leis/

Public Relations Committee

A total of 111 aquatic scientific societies representing more than 80,000 scientists across the world are sounding a climate change alarm. The societies call for drastically curtailed global greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of man-made climate change to fish and aquatic ecosystems.

• Statement of World Aquatic Scientific Societies on the Need to Take Urgent Action against Human-Caused Climate Change, Based on Scientific Evidence

Gento Shinohara, the President

As announced on 12 May, the ISJ Annual Meeting in Nagasaki, 2020, was unfortunately canceled due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. However, alternatively, we have decided to hold the meeting online. We will do our best to keep the activities for advancement of ichthyology by sharing this opportunity with the society members to present your papers and interact each other under these difficult circumstances.
The online meeting will be held during 31 October (Sat)-1 November (Sun) 2020, in Japanese (primary) and English. Only the society members have the privilege of attending the meeting.
The due dates for the registration for presentation and the abstract submission are not fully set yet but will likely be around the end of August and that of September 2020, respectively. Presentation and participation are free of charge. Presenters must use their own computers with a web camera and microphone under the broad-band Internet environment. Details will be posted on the society’s web page soon (http://www.fish-isj.jp/index-e.html).
We look forward to seeing you there.

Gento Shinohara, the President

Dr. John E. Randall (Senior Ichthyologist, Bishop Museum), an honorary member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ), passed away at the age of 95 on April 26, 2020. The ISJ extends its sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues throughout the world.

Dr. Yasuhiko Taki (Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of Fisheries), a former council member of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ), passed away at the age of 88 on March 24, 2020. The ISJ extends its sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues throughout the world.

Circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and safety of every conference attendee involved being our priority, we must announce the postponement of IPFC2021 in Auckland until 4-8 July 2022 (see https://www.ipfc11-asfb.ac.nz/).

Although the 53rd Annual Meeting (Annual Meeting in Nagasaki, 4-7 September 2020) of the Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ) was announced in Ichthyological Research (Volume 67, Issue 2), the ISJ Board of Directors is sorry to inform members that the Meeting has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision was made after discussion and with the approval of the Organizing Committee of the Meeting and all ISJ Representatives. Please take good care of yourselves.

The Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ) annually presents the Young Ichthyologist Award and the Best Article Award to an eminent young ichthyologist and to authors of articles published in Ichthyological Research or in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, in appreciation for their achievement and contribution to ichthyology. Members of ISJ are strongly encouraged to apply for these awards.

The Young Ichthyologist Award 2020

This award is given to an ichthyologist who is less than 40 years of age as of 31 December 2019. Nominees must be society members. The prize winner is asked to make a speech on her or his achievements in ichthyology at a plenary session of the ISJ meeting 2020. The winner receives 50,000 yen and traveling expenses (up to 150,000 yen).

The Best Article Award 2020

This award is given for an article published in Ichthyological Research Vol. 64 (1)–66 (4) or in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology Vol. 64 (1)–66 (2). To be eligible as nominees, the first or corresponding author of the article must be a member of ISJ. Awards may be given for two or three articles from different research fields.

Submission guideline

The items listed below should be submitted to the director of ISJ by 22 December 2019. In cases in which a nominee has no recommender, self-recommendation is possible.

Young Ichthyologist Award 2020

• Curriculum vitae
• Recommendation letter
• List of research articles
• List of social and educational activities
• Copies of representative articles (maximum five)
• Addresses of nominee and recommender

The Best Article Award 2020

• Nominated article
• Recommendation letter with summary of article
• Addresses of nominee and recommender

To submit a nomination, please contact:

Dr. Katsutoshi Watanabe, Director, ISJ
Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University
Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Tel & Fax: +81-75-753-4079
E-mail: watanak@terra.zool.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Application for awards in 2019

The Ichthyological Society of Japan (ISJ) annually presents the Young Ichthyologist Award and the Best Article Award to an eminent young ichthyologist and to authors of articles published in Ichthyological Research or in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, in appreciation for their achievement and contribution to ichthyology. Members of ISJ are strongly encouraged to apply for these awards.

The Young Ichthyologist Award 2019

This award is given to an ichthyologist who is less than 40 years of age as of 31 December 2018. Nominees must be society members. The prize winner is asked to make a speech on her or his achievements in ichthyology at a plenary session of the ISJ meeting 2019. The winner receives 50,000 yen and traveling expenses (up to 150,000 yen).

The Best Article Award 2019

This award is given for an article published in Ichthyological Research Vol. 63(1)–65(4) or in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology Vol. 63(1)–65(2). To be eligible as nominees, the first or corresponding author of the article must be a member of ISJ. Awards may be given for two or three articles from different research fields.

Submission guideline

The items listed below should be submitted to the director of ISJ by 22 December 2018.
In cases in which a nominee has no recommender, self-recommendation is possible.

Young Ichthyologist Award 2019

• Curriculum vitae
• Recommendation letter
• List of research articles
• List of social and educational activities
• Copies of representative articles (maximum five)
• Addresses of nominee and recommender

The Best Article Award 2019

• Nominated article
• Recommendation letter with summary of article
• Addresses of nominee and recommender

To submit a nomination, please contact:

Dr. Seishi Kimura, Director, ISJ
Fisheries Research Laboratory, Mie University,
4190–172 Wagu, Shima-cho, Shima, Mie 517–0703, Japan
Tel: +81-599-85-4604, Fax: +81-599-85-5492
E-mail: kimura-s@bio.mie-u.ac.jp