I've talked about policy at AFS meetings several times. Many times I've gotten feedback that biologists don't see the connection between policy and their work in fisheries or that policy is on a different track from their work. My goal in this column is to demonstrate that not only is policy a critical underpinning to our fisheries work, but that the time is right for us to flex our science communication muscles and reassert the scientific foundation on which many of these policies depend. As an example, the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule has undergone multiple revisions in the last several decades. The WOTUS definition can be contentious politically because projects may be seeking a permit to fill in or encroach on wetlands, stream channels, or riparian areas. These permits are regulated by the Clean Water Act, and you may have heard of them referred to as 404 permits.

中文翻译：

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渔业科学与政策齐头并进

我在 AFS 会议上多次谈到政策。很多时候我收到反馈说生物学家没有看到政策与他们在渔业中的工作之间的联系，或者政策与他们的工作在不同的轨道上。我在本专栏中的目标是证明政策不仅是我们渔业工作的关键基础，而且是我们展示科学传播力量并重申许多这些政策所依赖的科学基础的正确时机。例如，美国水域 (WOTUS) 规则在过去几十年中经历了多次修订。WOTUS 的定义在政治上可能会引起争议，因为项目可能会寻求许可来填充或侵占湿地、河道或河岸地区。，您可能听说过它们被称为 404 许可证。