10 Years of IOF

Celebrating 10th Anniversary of the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries: Honouring 70 Years of Ocean and Fisheries Excellence at UBC

While the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF) was officially established on July 1, 2015, our roots at UBC stretch back more than 70 years, and it is a rich and celebrated history. Over the decades, we have undergone many transformations, shaped by generations of truly outstanding colleagues, staff and students in the aquatic, ocean and fisheries science communities. Together, we have made groundbreaking and lasting contributions, from developing pivotal tools, methods, conceptual frameworks, to curating critical data and knowledge, and informing and shaping policy in Canada and around the world.

And we plan on continuing our story long into the future.

Our origins trace back to the 1950s, when we were established as the UBC Institute of Fisheries by Dr. Peter A. Larkin — an esteemed professor of ecology and British Columbia’s first Chief Fisheries Biologist. In honour of Dr. Larkin’s pioneering contributions, we host the annual Peter A. Larkin Award Lecture series. His legacy continues to shape our community. The dedicated Larkin Room, a space for meetings and quiet reflection, stands as a lasting tribute to his vision.

In 1968, the Institute of Fisheries was renamed the Institute of Animal Resource Ecology (IARE) to reflect its broadening scope. It included a Co-operative Fisheries Unit, which fostered a disciplinary exchange between fisheries scientists and ecologists. Although IARE had a significant impact on its field and provided valuable in-service training for Canadian fisheries agencies, it was closed in the 1980s.

Sparked by a campus-wide debate about research in natural resources, a new Fisheries Centre was established in 1991 to advance and promote the interdisciplinary study of fisheries. Professors Carl Walters, William Neill, Les Lavkulich, and Mike Healey joined the new Centre, bringing with them the rich knowledge and experience carried forward from the earlier IARE era.

In 1993, Professor Tony Pitcher was appointed as the Fisheries Centre’s first director. Under his leadership, the Fisheries Centre expanded significantly throughout the 1990s and 2000s, attracting leading fisheries and ocean researchers to UBC including Drs. Daniel Pauly, Amanda Vincent, Villy Christensen, Rashid Sumaila, Andrew Trites, and Murdoch McAllister to UBC. The Centre’s research projects and collaborations during this period led to some of the most influential conceptual advances in the history of fisheries science and aquatic ecology.

Housing the Fisheries Centre was an issue in its past. First it was in ‘temporary’ WWII-era ‘huts’, then was first moved to the Lower Mall Research Station, and finally to our current home in the Aquatic Ecosystem Research Lab (AERL) (2202 Main Mall), which opened in 2005.

With the opening of the AERL building, the Fisheries Centre could stretch out in its new 55,000 square-foot home. This $8.9-million AERL facility, built around an atrium that connects the four floors of the building, was funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and is certified LEED Gold. A fitting place for collaboration between natural and social scientists working on scientific, economic, sociological, and environmental aspects of aquatic ecosystems.

With an expanded focus on freshwater and ocean research, and a renewed commitment to fostering collaboration and impact across disciplines and sectors, the Fisheries Centre was restructured into the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, officially approved by UBC’s Senate on July 1, 2015. Dr. Evgeny Pakhomov was IOF’s Founding Director.

And we continue to grow. Notable milestones over the past 10 years include the addition of colleagues from diverse disciplines, such as Drs. William Cheung, Marie Auger-Méthé, Brian Hunt, David Rosen, Andrea Reid, and most recently, Skye Augustine.

In 2019, we launched the Oceans and Fisheries Graduate Program, welcoming our first cohort of students from across Canada and around the world. Designed to advance our mission of training the next generation of leaders and researchers, the program focuses on ocean, aquatic, and freshwater fisheries science at both local and global scales.

On July 1, 2021, Dr. William Cheung took over as IOF’s Director, a position he still holds.

In 2021, we launched the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, building on the foundation laid by the earlier Aboriginal Fisheries Research Unit. The Centre is dedicated to supporting the revitalization and stewardship of Indigenous fishing practices and governance. Its mission includes fostering Indigenous leadership in fisheries science and research, and strengthening Indigenous food systems through respectful collaboration, knowledge co-production, and capacity-building.

The anniversary is not just a celebration of a decade; it is an opportunity to reflect on over 70 years of contributions from many of those who came before us.

We will be holding a number of events and activities during this, our 10th year and invite you to participate with us. Please stop back to learn more.