Federal recreational fish hatcheries are on the chopping block, and KeepAmericaFishing™ needs your help to keep these important hatcheries operating and your favorite fishing spots stocked with fish. Take action today to ensure that you can continue to fight for your right to fish.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) National Fish Hatchery System is responsible for stocking many of our nation’s waters with the fish that anglers enjoy pursuing. Federal hatcheries across the U.S. raise and release millions of recreationally-important species such as rainbow trout to mitigate for the loss of native fisheries due to water development projects such as dams.
With diminishing budgets, the Service can no longer afford to operate these hatcheries without reimbursement from the responsible water management agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Tennessee Valley Authority. Without their reimbursement, the Service may be forced to close hatcheries across the U.S. and reduce stocking operations, which will have a significant impact on recreational fishing opportunity.
With the help of angler advocates like you, a similar threat was avoided last year, but hatchery funding will continue to be an issue until Congress takes action. H.R. 5931, legislation recently introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives, will require the responsible agencies to pay for their portion of mitigation hatchery operations.
Urge your Member of Congress to support H.R. 5931 and help keep your local fishing spot well stocked with trout and other popular sportfish. Click here to send your message today! Click here to take action today!
–– Source: Keep America Fishing
