This
article is about America's fisheries, where
once there was a plentiful supply of fish
things changed and they began to disappear,
it covers trout, salmon,
Atlantic salmon, striped bass, American
shad, river herring, Atlantic sturgeon,
American eel,
lake
trout eggs and yearlings,
apache trout
Conserving America's Fisheries
A
Proud Past A Bright Future
America's pristine waters once supported
plentiful and robust fisheries. Our
Nation's natural treasures appeared to be
abundant without end. The United States
fueled the industrial revolution with
resources of water, timber, minerals and
wildlife. Then the fish began to
disappear....
Farming, industrialization, population
growth, and over harvest degraded our
Nation's water quality and fisheries
resources. By the mid-1800's, fishermen
recognized a decline in fish populations.
In 1871, Spencer Fullerton Baird, Assistant
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,
wrote to congress urging Federal protection
for the Nation's fisheries. Baird warned
that the "time is not far distant" that
America will lose fish as a source of
"subsistence and support," a "calamity that
would involve a vast number of evils in its
train." Baird's warning was echoed by the
American Fish Culturalists' Association (now
the American Fisheries Society).
Congress responded by creating the
Commission on Fish and Fisheries, the first
Federal agency dedicated to the conservation
of natural resources. By law, the
Commission was to determine if and why
fisheries had declined and what actions
should be taken.
One year later, Congress appropriated funds
for the first National Fish Hatchery. The
Commission was the predecessor of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service's Fisheries
Program.
Today, America's fish are still in trouble.
Aquatic habitat is declining because of
erosion and sedimentation, altered stream
flows, dams and obstructions, pollution and
invasive species. More than 100 kinds of
fish are listed under the Endangered Species
Act, and no fish had been removed from the
list through recovery.
To help restore our fisheries, the Fisheries
Program surveys populations and habitats,
raises native fish and other species, and
restores habitat to meet the goals of
fisheries management plans. We maintain a
network of field stations across the
country, including 70 National Fish
Hatcheries, I Historical National Fish
Hatchery, 7 Fish Technology Centers, 9 Fish
Health Centers, 64 Fishery Resources
Offices, and I genetics laboratory.
Interjurisdictional Fisheries
We work with Federal, Canadian,
State, Tribal and other conservation
partners to restore and manage fish
populations that cross state or national
boundaries. Self-sustaining populations
of freshwater, coastal and anadromous
fish (fish that reproduce in fresh water
and mature in the ocean) indicate
healthy ecosystems and provide
recreational and commercial benefits.
In the Northeast Region, we use the
latest science to restore Atlantic
salmon, striped bass, American shad,
river herring, Atlantic sturgeon,
American eel, and other
interjurisdictional fish species.
Native Species
We
restore declining native fish
populations by protecting and restoring
habitats and reintroducing fish where
appropriate. We work to recover listed
species under the Endangered Species
Act. The Great Lakes/Big Rivers Region
identifies suitable habitats and
releases lake trout eggs and yearlings
in Lakes Michigan and Huron.
We
monitor and evaluate fish populations
and maintain databases to assist
partners in managing fisheries
resources. The natural diversity of
Alaska's fishery resources is measured
by the health, diversity and relative
abundance of native populations.
Long-term monitoring allows evaluation
of the health, relative abundance and
protective measures needed to sustain
stocks within an ecosystem.
Aquatic Nuisance Species
We
help in preventing and controlling the
spread of aquatic nuisance species in
partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, and
other conservation organizations. For
example, we support the 100th Meridian
Initiative to help prevent the spread of
zebra mussels into the West. We also work
with international partners to control the
parasitic sea lamprey.
Public Use
We enhance
fishing opportunities by improving habitats
and producing millions of fish for
restoration and mitigation of Federal water
projects. In the Southeast Region, we work
in partnership with states to release more
than 6 million fish annually to support
recreational fisheries as one way to
mitigate the impacts of federal dams. We
work with National Wildlife Refuges to
provide recreational fishing opportunities.
Our American heritage includes a rich
history of recreational fishing; the
Fisheries Program helps assure its rich
future.
Cooperation with Native American Tribal
Nations
We
partner with Tribes to restore fish and
wildlife and their habitats and to develop
fishing and hunting programs. The Southwest
Region assists the White Mountain Apache
Tribe in restoring the Apache trout and its
habitat, and project started by the Tribe in
the 1940's. Once listed as "endangered" and
facing extinction, the Apache trout has been
up-graded to "threatened" and is near full
recovery. We work closely with Tribal
governments to fulfill Federal trust
responsibilities to Native American peoples.
Leadership in Aquatic Science and Technology
We
provide leadership in the development and
application of state-of-the-art science and
technology for the conservation and
management of fish and other aquatic species
and their habitats. In the Pacific Region,
Fish Health Centers inspect hatchery fish
for pathogens and diagnose diseases.
Remedial treatments are recommended to
improve fish health management. The health
of wild fish is closely monitored to assist
in the recovery of endangered Pacific salmon
and other fish. By careful monitoring of
fish population health, we help prevent
species from being listed as threatened or
endangered. In addition, Fish Technology
Centers apply research, develop new
technologies, and solve specific problems in
hatchery operations and fisheries
management.
Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Management
We
determine habitat needs for fish
populations, and identify where improvements
can be made. Dams and other man-made
barriers threaten many fish populations. We
work with others to provide water quality,
quantity and fish passage needs in rivers
and streams. Fishery Resources Offices in
the Mountain-Prairie Region develop fish
passage for paddlefish and the endangered
pallid sturgeon, and restore riparian
habitats. Reintroduction of hatchery-reared
pallid sturgeon and paddlefish, harvest
management, and habitat restoration and
protection help ensure the conservation of
our Nation's fisheries.
Conserving America's Fisheries
Americans love fish. We catch them for
food, income, and recreation. We photograph
them, display them on walls, and watch them
in aquariums. We pursue them in pristine
wilderness and crowded urban waters. But
America's vital fish resources are still
threatened by habitat degradation,
pollution, dams, competition from invasive
species and over-harvest.
The Fisheries Program works for the public
to conserve species and their habitats. By
diligent application of sound science,
effective management practices, and
dedicated partnerships, the Fisheries
Program helps ensure sustainable use of
America's fish for today and tomorrow.
Washington Office
U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Director, Fisheries and Habitat
Conservation
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
Pacific Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistance Regional Director, Fisheries
911 N.E. 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232-4181
Southwest Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries
500 Gold Avenue, S.W.
Albuquerque, NM 87101
Great Lakes - Big Rivers Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries
1 Federal Drive
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
Southeast Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries
1875 Century Boulevard
Atlanta, GA 30345
Northeast Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035-9589
Mountain Prairie Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries
Denver Federal 1 Center
Lakewood, CO 80228-1807
Alaska Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries and
Ecological Services
1011 E. Tudor Road
Anchorage, AK 99503