he 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 in a larger effort 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 to refocus its Fisheries Program and develop
a vision. 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 to 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 healthy
aquatic resources.
In July, 2001, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council
(SFBPC) was charged by the Service to convene 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.
This provided partners with a unique opportunity to be engaged before
the strategic vision was drafted. It was also unique because the
Fisheries Steering Committee included representatives from the Service,
along with partners and stakeholders.
In January, 2002, the SFBPC Fisheries Steering Committee provided
the Service with a set of consensus recommendations on the Fisheries
Program’s role in the partnership effort to conserve the Nation’s
fish and other aquatic resources. This report, entitled “A Partnership
Agenda for Fisheries Conservation,” along with the earlier SFBPC
hatchery report, “Saving a System in Peril,” were keystone elements
in developing the Fisheries Program’s strategic vision. Using these
two reports and working collaboratively with partners, the Service
has better defined its role in conserving and managing aquatic resources
across the country. This strategic vision discusses where the Fisheries
Program is today, where it needs to go in the future, and why it
is important to get there. To move forward and be successful in
this role, the Fisheries Program must be solidly supported, backed
by sound science, and grounded in dynamic partnerships.
The Fisheries Program consists of almost 800 employees nationwide,
located in 64 Fishery Resource Offices, including a Conservation
Genetics Laboratory, 69 National Fish Hatcheries, 9 Fish Health
Centers, 7 Fish Technology Centers and a Historic National Fish
Hatchery. Together, these employees and facilities provide a network
that is unique among Federal agencies, State and Tribal governments,
and private organizations in its broad on-the-ground geographic
coverage, its array of technical and managerial capabilities, and
its ability to work across political boundaries and take a national
perspective. It also brings to the aquatic conservation table the
only Federal hatchery system, with extensive experience culturing
more than one hundred different aquatic species. Click below
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