IIFET is pleased to announce that Martin Smith, George M. Woodwell Distinguished Professor of Environmental Economics at Duke University and current IIFET President, has been named Fellow of the International Institute of Fisheries Economic & Trade (IIFET).

 

As our newest Fellow, Professor Smith will give a keynote address as the biennial IIFET 2022 conference in Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

 

Dr. Smith’s career is best described as meteoric, beginning with his IIFET Best Student Paper Award in 2000 and an award-winning PhD thesis that is arguably one of the best examples of bioeconomic modeling ever conducted. Since receiving his PhD at the University of California, Davis, in 2001, Marty has established an international reputation as a preeminent fisheries and natural resource economist. Marty’s research portfolio is remarkable in many respects: combining cutting-edge empirical skills in both reduced-form and structural econometrics (a rare combination) with a remarkably deep knowledge of both capture fisheries and aquaculture in both the United States and internationally, along with a keen sense of the systemic context facing resource-dependent communities in increasingly globalized seafood markets.

 

His stellar research record includes many influential and innovative papers in environmental and resource economics, and fisheries science journals. In addition, he has published in leading general economics journals and general science journals (e.g., American Economic Review, Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), all of which have helped to increase the visibility and credibility of fisheries economics research. Dr. Smith has worked with a varied group of co-authors to provide profound insights on a number of important fisheries management challenges, and he has increasingly communicated the findings to marine scientists as well as economists. While fisheries management and fisher behavior remain important themes in Dr. Smith’s research, his enquiry has broadened significantly in recent years, as he has increasingly worked outside of the traditional confines of fisheries economics and management to consider the entire systemic nature of seafood markets for the sustainability of both wild-capture and aquaculture resources. This has led to groundbreaking work in seafood markets and international trade, food security, supply chains, consumer behavior, ecolabeling, and aquaculture.

 

The disciplinary depth, interdisciplinary reach, and systemic scope of Marty’s research is also reflected in his teaching and mentorship. Since coming to Duke, Marty has taught a large number of courses, from intro-level courses introducing the concepts of environmental economics to environmental studies majors, to Master’s and Ph.D. courses in natural resource economics for both interdisciplinary students and economics students. Most notably, Marty developed a capstone course for the marine conservation leadership certificate program. This course, cleverly entitled “Should I Eat Fish?”, engages students at the level of their personal food choices as an entrée into the economics, ecology, policy, and health dimensions underlying seafood as a food system. While the course immerses students in the rigors of the scientific literature, it is also fun – culminating with a feast prepared by Marty, but where the students utilize their newfound knowledge to choose the menu. As a mentor, Marty strikes a balance between enabling students to work independently and guiding them through the arduous path of research. He encourages students to work on challenging problems and provides astute feedback on research ideas and methods. He also fosters peer learning through regular lab meetings – a practice very common in the natural sciences but rare in economics – that his students have found immensely helpful for generating new ideas and collaborations, sharpening and refining research ideas, and sharing resources.

 

Dr. Smith has also spent significant time applying his knowledge in real-world fisheries management. He served on the Scientific and Statistical Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (2008-2016) in the United States and served two terms (2013-2019) on the Ocean Studies Board for the National Academy of Sciences in a highly visible assignment involving formulating and conducting credible and objective scientific studies to inform U.S. marine policy analysis. Furthermore, Marty has lent his expertise and time to serve prominent editorial roles with Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, and Marine Resource Economics (IIFET’s flagship journal).

 

Dr. Smith’s impact on the field of fisheries economics would be commendable for a senior professor nearing retirement, but it is remarkable considering he is just over 20 years into his academic career. The fact that these achievements have been accumulated by a scholar who is still very much in his prime makes them all the more worthy of acknowledgment. He is a fearless leader and phenomenal ambassador to the fisheries economics profession.