The 19th Hellenic Conference of Ichthyologists, held in Ioannina, Greece from October 30 to November 2, 2025, celebrated the forefront of ichthyology and fisheries science. Among the highlights was the inaugural presentation of the Rainer Froese Award, established to honor the legacy of Dr. Rainer Froese (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel), co-creator and long-term coordinator of FishBase and the lead author of the innovative stock assessment method for data-limited fisheries, CMSY++.
Dr. Froese’s pioneering contributions to ichthyology and fisheries biology have profoundly influenced modern fisheries science, earning international recognition including an honorary award at the 16th Hellenic Conference of Ichthyologists in Kavala, Greece (October 6, 2016). At that time, Dr. Froese delivered the inaugural invited talk, with Dr. Kostas Stergiou—former director of the Laboratory of Ichthyology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a long-standing member of the FishBase Consortium—delivering the laudatio. Among his other prestigious honors are the 2017 Le Cren Medal from the Fisheries Society of the British Isles and the 2020 Ocean Awards for Conservation Science from the Blue Marine Foundation and BOAT International.
Konstantinos Stergiou delivering the laudatio before Dr. Froese received his honorary award in 2016
This year, the award recognized the next generation of researchers advancing sustainable fisheries management. Presented by Dr. Donna Dimarchopoulou, Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, the prize was awarded during the closing ceremony on Saturday, November 1, to two exceptional graduate students:
- Konstantina Michailidou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), for her work on length-based stock assessments, and
- Konstantinos Kavakakis, Agricultural University of Athens(AUA), for his study on an action plan for sustainable albacore and swordfish fisheries.
We extend our warmest congratulations to this year’s awardees, whose work honors Dr. Froese’s legacy by driving science forward and shaping a more sustainable future for global fisheries.
