The Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has played a vital role in conserving and managing fish and other aquatic resources since 1871. Today, the Fisheries Program is a critical partner with States, Tribes, other governments, other Service programs, private organizations, public institutions, and interested citizens to conserve these important resources.
The Nation's fish and other aquatic resources are among the richest and most diverse in the world. These resources have helped support the Nation's growth by providing enormous ecological, social and economic benefits. Despite efforts by the Service and others to conserve aquatic resources, a growing number are declining at alarming rates.
Loss of habitat and invasive species are the two most significant threats to the diversity of aquatic systems. One-third of the Nation's freshwater fish species are threatened or endangered, 72 percent of freshwater mussels are imperiled, and the number of threatened and endangered species has tripled in the last 20 years. Clearly, there is increasing urgency to identify and implement actions that will reverse these alarming trends before it is too late. In order to better conserve and manage fish and other aquatic resources in the face of increasing threats, the Service worked with partners (the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council) to refocus its Fisheries Program and develop a vision to Conserve America's Fisheries.
The vision of the Service and its Fisheries Program is working with partners to restore and maintain fish and other aquatic resources at self-sustaining levels and support Federal mitigation programs for the benefit of the American public.
To achieve this vision, the Fisheries Program will work with its partners to:
- Protect the health of aquatic habitats.
- Restore fish and other aquatic resources.
- Provide opportunities to enjoy the benefits of health aquatic resources.
The Service convened a steering committee representing perspectives from a broad array of stakeholders in fish and aquatic resource conservation to work with the Fisheries Program during the development of a new blueprint for the future. The Service has better defined its role in conserving and managing aquatic resources across the country using reports from the steering committee and working collaboratively with partners.
View the Conserving America's Fisheries: Fisheries Program Vision for the Future (pdf, 89.6 Kb)
The seven focus areas that the Fisheries Program will take actions to emphasize are:
Department of InteriorU.S. Fish and WildlifeUSA.gov
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