Planning is underway for regular con-ferences of Asian fisheries scientists. Given the present level of interest, an Asian Fisheries Society may be formed in the near future. Within Southeast Asia, there has often been expressed the need for fisher¬ies scientists to get together to exchange ideas and information and provide a stimulus for improving their research capabilities. Some research is being duplicated because scientists remain un¬aware of activities in nearby countries, and often even within their own country. This fact has been a rationale for the establishment of scientific societies, acad¬emies and journals for over 200 years.