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Dr Samuel Shephard is a fisheries ecologist with research interests in sustainable social-ecological systems and the overarching issue of environmental stewardship. Dr Shephard started his career as a commercial fisherman on the west coast of Ireland, and subsequently joined a state agency where he helped test environmentally sensitive fishing gears. He then conducted PhD research on the landscape ecology of exploited catfishes at Mississippi State University.

For the last 20 years, Dr Shephard has established a research programme that has generated more than 70 international peer-reviewed publications on diverse topics including river hydromorphology, ecological indicators and data-limited stock assessment, as well as interweaving local ecological knowledge. Recent work includes collaborations on artisanal systems in South America and South-east Asia. In addition, he is currently in the process of publishing 'Person, Place and Catholic Environmental Stewardship' in 2025. This work is a collaboration with Adam van Wart (�鶹��ý�����Theology) and is under contract with Eerdmans. Dr Shephard is committed to Catholic environmental stewardship and the bold integration of faith and reason.

Sam has recently joined �鶹��ý�����, where he serves as an Associate Professor and teaches courses in Marine Biology, Ecology and Environmental Science. He is married to Anna, and they have seven children.

Professional Webpage:

Academic Webpage:

Podcast: Interview Dr. Shephard did on Catholic Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change on September 15, 2023 on The Drew Mariani Show, which airs on .

Dr. Shephard Media Samples

Research Interests

I am interested in environmental stewardship, with a focus on sustainable fisheries social-ecological systems. One aspect is to characterize ecosystem state, even when there are few quantitative data. The overarching aim is to understand how people become deeply embedded in the natural places where they live, engaging in tasks that develop local knowledge and skills necessary to care for our Common Home. Specific objectives include:

• Assessment of data-limited subsistence, commercial and recreational fisheries.
• Weaving local knowledge into assessment of social-ecological systems.
• Ecosystem impacts of fisheries and aquaculture.
• Environmental sustainability and stewardship.

Funded Research

Dr Shephard has contributed to numerous funded research programmes. Recent examples include:

• Sustainable Wildlife Management programme
• EU Salmon at Sea LiceTrack project -

Scientific Working Groups

I love to work with other scientists to consider sustainability questions in fisheries and other aspects of applied ecology. Examples include:

• Science Editor, Fisheries Magazine. 2016-Present..
• Assistant Editor, Journal of Fish Biology. 2015-2023.
• FAO of the UN workshop on balanced harvesting in fisheries. Rome, July 2022.
• Chair: International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Working Group (WG) on Elasmobranch Fisheries (WGEF): 2017-2019.
• Member: ICES WGs on sea trout assessment, ICES WG on diadromous fish assessment, ICES WG on Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Activities. 2011-2019.
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Selected Publications ()

• Recreational killing of wild animals can foster environmental stewardship | Nature Sustainability

• Shephard, S., List, C.J. and Arlinghaus, R., 2023. Reviving the unique potential of recreational fishers as environmental stewards of aquatic ecosystems. Fish and Fisheries 24: 339-351.
• Shephard, S., Edwards, K., George, S., Joseph, E., James, S., David, O., Persaud, A., Watson, C. and Van Vliet, N., 2022. Community‐based monitoring, assessment and management of data‐limited inland fish stocks in North Rupununi, Guyana. Fisheries Management and Ecology 30: 121-133.
• Shephard, S., Ryan, D., O’Reilly, P., and Roche, W. 2021. Using local ecological knowledge to inform semi-quantitative fishery surveillance indicators: an example in marine recreational angling. ICES Journal of Marine Science 10: 3805-3816.
• Shephard, S. and Gargan, P., 2021. Wild Atlantic salmon exposed to sea lice from aquaculture show reduced marine survival and modified response to ocean climate. ICES Journal of Marine Science 78: 368-376.
• Shephard, S., Valbo‐Jorgensen, J., Abadía, J., Baigún, C., Doria, C. R., Fabré, N. N., Isaac, V. J., Ngor, P. B., Ruffino, M. L. and Funge‐Smith, S. 2021. From Amazon Catfish to Mekong Money Fish: size‐based assessment of data‐limited commercial inland fisheries. Fisheries 46: 170-187.
• Fitzgerald, C., Delanty, K., and Shephard, S. 2018. Inland fish stock assessment: applying data-poor methods from marine systems. Fisheries Management and Ecology 25: 240-252.
• Gascuel, D., Coll, M., Fox, C., Guénette, S., Guitton, J., Kenny, A., Knittweis, L., Nielsen, J.R., Piet, G., Raid, T., Travers-Trolet, M., and Shephard, S. 2016. Fishing impact and environmental status in European seas: a diagnosis from stock assessments and ecosystem indicators. Fish and Fisheries 17: 31-55. ()
• Shephard, S., Greenstreet, S. P. R., Piet, G. J., Rindorf, A., and Dickey-Collas, M. 2015. Surveillance indicators and their use in implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. ICES Journal of Marine Science 72: 2269-2277.

Writing and Speaking

Dr Shephard enjoys writing about his encounters with the natural world and his consequent ponderings on environmental stewardship. His perspective reflects broad scientific experience and a strong catholic outlook. He is very excited by the call to care for the Earth as our Common Home and to develop a stronger Catholic presence in public conversation on the environment. Recent popular writing includes:

Dr Shephard is also an enthusiastic speaker. Recent discussions include:

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