In April, a contingent of nine Fish Futures researchers from Aotearoa, Australia, UK and North America, met in Hawai’i for the American Association of Geographers 2024 Annual Meeting.
Held in Honolulu on the island O’ahu, the conference drew nearly 3,800 attendees, with a further 1,000 joining online. Featured sessions highlighted Kanaka Māoli scholars and leaders, while fieldtrips and pre-conference webinars drew attention to Hawaiian ecologies, cultures, and histories. A wide range of disciplinary perspectives, from cultural geography to geomorphology, were brought to bear on the conference themes of reciprocal scholarship, colonialism and resources, and recovery and restoration.
Kiely, Marc, Jane, and Ed co-organised two sessions titled ‘Freshwater futures: knowledge and justice for a world of novel ecosystems’ which featured oral presentations from across the program, including from Jane, Marc, Kiely, Ed, Leah, Aisling, and Alaric who beamed in virtually. Aisling convened a panel session on (re)negotiating species belonging, featuring Nick, Leah, Sarah, and Jane, which drew 40+ audience members and a lively discussion. Joanne, Marc, and Sarah also presented in other sessions. Before the conference, the team held a Fish Futures workshop to discuss progress in the social science critical steps and brainstorm ideas and future outputs.
Overall, AAG provided a rare opportunity for kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face) team conversations, to make new connections, and to raise the visibility of Fish Futures on the international stage. In addition to the team bonding and eye-watering amounts of poke, the conference was made extra special by Marc’s Aunty Sandi who resides in O’ahu and who took everyone under her wing.
