The World Council of Fisheries Societies is a non-profit, nongovernmental organisation that currently includes 12 scientific and professional fisheries societies and affiliated organisations world wide.

The main aim of the Council is to promote international cooperation in fisheries science, conservation and management by encouraging and promoting sustainable management practices, excellence in fisheries research and the wise use of fishery resources. One important way in which the Council seeks to achieve these ends is through the organisation of a major World Fisheries Congress every 4 years.

The Council has hosted 5 highly successful meetings, the most recent being the 5th in Yokohama in 2008. For 2012, the 6th Congress moves to Europe, where it will be held in Edinburgh, the beautiful capital of Scotland, hosted by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles. The International Programme Committee has put together a really interesting programme on behalf of the World Fisheries Congress and The Fisheries Society of the British Isles, we extend a cordial welcome to delegates.