The United States Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries program has been in existence for 133 years. Their goal is to maintain the populations of all species of fish while also providing ample opportunities for the fishermen of the United States. The Fisheries program consists of two different programs, the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Program and the National Fish Hatchery System. The Fisheries program looks at species of fish that are in danger of extinction and works to rebuild their population, as well as to provide education to the public about those particular species of fish.
There are many responsibilities assigned directly to the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance program of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The management assistance part of the name refers to their planning and management services, with regard to animal populations. While not directly involved, they participate in the planning end of restoring endangered fish populations. They monitor the numbers of fish in the hatcheries and how long they have been there, and they monitor, regulate and prevent the invasion of predator species. When repopulating does occur, the program monitors the repopulation to see how effective it is. Public education regarding conservation is their final responsibility.
The National Fish Hatchery program has multi-functional responsibilities. They use hatcheries to breed fish that have no genetic defects and then place them into the wild to repopulate in areas that are depleted. The hatchery workers do research to identify and try to prevent disease that may be affecting fish and aquatic wildlife. In addition to all of this, they also provide refuge habitats to fish that have become an endangered species, as an attempt to allow them time to breed for the purpose of repopulating.
The National Fish Hatchery program in the Fish and Wildlife Service is largely responsible for maintaining the population levels of game fish, such as largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, which are native to certain areas. They make sure that the states and fishermen are in compliance with state and federal fishing limits. These limits are set as a means of ensuring that the population of certain fish does not become depleted to the point that they cannot recover. Fishing provides a valuable source of both food and recreation, along with a source of income for the local businesses that support the fishing industry. Disturbing a balance in population levels could upset the local economy in a tragic way.
