Bill > HR1917

This bill establishes the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to address the rapidly changing ecosystem of the Great Lakes. The program aims to tag and track hatchery-produced fish, helping researchers and management agencies better understand the balance between hatchery and wild fish populations, assess the effectiveness of fish stocking efforts, and support fishery management decisions. The bill recognizes that the Great Lakes support a $7 billion regional economy and face challenges like invasive species and decreasing prey fish populations. Under the program, the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service can purchase equipment, hire personnel, and collaborate with federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies to collect and share data. The program will annually tag between 9-11 million of the approximately 21 million hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes to support native species recovery and recreational and commercial fishing. The bill authorizes $2.7 million in funding for each fiscal year from 2026 to 2030 to support these efforts, with the ultimate goal of improving fishery management, habitat restoration, and economic stability in the Great Lakes region.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1917/all-info