Activities - An Overview of the Fisheries Progam

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a responsibility to conserve, restore, enhance, and manage the Nation's fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems for the benefit of future generations. Federal stewardship of the Nation's fishery resources has been a core responsibility of the Service for over 120 years.

Fisheries and aquatic resources are of particular importance in the midwest region as we are surrounded by the Great Lakes and Big Rivers. We are bordered to the north by Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie; and the big rivers of the Upper Mississippi, Lower Missouri, and the Ohio Rivers to the south. Fish and aquatic resources are valuable in our region. We also have a number of valuable endangered fish and mussel species that are unique to our area.

Not only do we have a number of aquatic assets, but we also have a number of growing threats to those assets. The threats of invasive aquatic nuisance species and aquatic habitat alteration and loss weigh heavily on our aquatic resources. Partnerships with federal, state, tribal, and local management agencies help combat threats and preserve our natural aquatic resources. These activites also increase recreational opportunities within the region.

The Fisheries Program in the Midwest Region is comprised of six National Fish Hatcheries, six Fish & Wildlife Conservation Offices, two Biological Stations, and one Fish Health Center. All offices are managed out of the Regional Fisheries Office in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. We are proud to say that one of our hatcheries, Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Neosho, Missouri, is the oldest operating National Fish Hatchery in the U.S. It was established in 1888 and continues to serve.

We work with a number of native species, endangered fish and mussels, and aquatic invasive species. We are also involved with a number of programs and partnerships in each of the 8 states within the Midwest Region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin).

For more information, view recent activities in our Fish Lines Newsletter or download brochures and fact sheets from our resource materials.