The Asian Fisheries Society plays a variety of roles in cooperating with regional and international societies and institutions.
The WorldFish Center (formerly ICLARM) has been associated with and has been a strong supporter of AFS from its founding to the present day. For its services and support to the Society, the WorldFish Center was awarded with the AFS Gold Award in 2007. Similarly, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) was given a Merit Award in 2007 and a Gold Medal in 2011 during the 9AFAF for it support to the Society and to the Asian Fisheries Forum over a number of years.
FAO has also been associated with AFS over a long period and has provided both staff and financial support for many AFS activities, the latest of which were the 2nd International Symposium on Cage Culture held in China in 2006, the 8AFF held in Kochi, India in 2007 and the Special Global Symposium on Gender in Aquaculture & Fisheries (GAF3) held in Shanghai, China in April 2011 as part of 9AFAF. For its support to AFS, FAO was given a Gold Medal during 9AFAF.
The Society also undertakes collaborative activities with the World Fisheries Society in holding the World Fisheries Congress, a 5-day global conference for the free exchange of scientific information. Fisheries scientists worldwide who are concerned about the long-term health and wise use of fisheries resources meet to assess the state of the world’s fisheries resources and promote scientific collaboration. The first Congress was held in May 1992 in Athens, Greece and spearheaded by the American Fisheries Society and the AFS. The Society co-sponsored the 3rd World Fisheries Congress held in Beijing, China (31 October-03 November 2000) organized by the China Society of Fisheries and is intending to be actively involved in the 6th Congress to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland in May 2012. The Society is also seeking membership of the World Council of Fisheries Societies.
Formal agreements with the World Aquaculture Society (2008) and the Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science (2010) allow the cooperative exchange of publications, enhance the benefits available to members of each society, and broaden the international exchange of information among aquaculture scientists.
AFS also interacts with many national fisheries societies throughout Asia. The Malaysian Fisheries Society and Chinese Society of Fisheries are strong affiliates of AFS.