CONSERVATION CORNER
March 20, 2006
The National Fish Hatchery System: A System In Peril
by James L. Cummins

Last week, my column mentioned that President Bush had included in his budget more dollars for the National Fish Hatchery System. Let me explain why this is so important.

For more than a century, the National Fish Hatchery System has played a valuable role in providing fish for our Nation. This system, a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service includes a total of 66 national fish hatcheries, 7 fish technology centers and 9 fish health centers. It is uniquely positioned to benefit state, tribal and federal fishery programs through leadership in development and application of the best possible fish culture and fisheries management techniques, to include the maintenance of healthy, wild fish populations through habitat conservation and improved harvest management, maintenance of genetic diversity and the proper use of hatchery stocks in achieving a important fishery management objectives.

Unfortunately, this system has developed serious problems over its 128 year history. Presently, it faces both its worst crisis and its best chance for improvement. Since 1992, the Service's overall budget rose 35 percent, but funding for hatchery operations and maintenance has declined by 15 percent for a net decline in funding of 50 percent.

The facilities, including the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, are old and outmoded. A tremendous maintenance backlog exists and some hatchery personnel positions are vacant. We are now in a crisis situation.

The National Fish Hatchery System can not only help restore community lakes and streams, reverse declines in rare and declining species of fish, but help recover threatened and endangered species of fish with the help of appropriations from the threatened and endangered species program, not at the expense of general funding for hatcheries. Fish hatcheries are an important tool for fisheries managers. We need to properly maintain this tool for maintaining a good quality of life for millions of Americans.

Hatcheries are uniquely positioned to aid in the recovery of aquatic ecosystems through leadership in development and application of the best possible fish culture and fisheries management techniques, to include, the maintenance of healthy, wild fish and aquatic invertebrate populations through habitat conservation and improved harvest management, maintenance of genetic diversity and the proper use of hatchery stocks for management.

The System is doing some great things in the South regarding recovery. The recovery plans for shortnose sturgeon, pallid sturgeon and many freshwater mussels directly call for the development of cryopreservation techniques or for the genetic conservation of these species. Overall, the Southeast Regional Fisheries Program is addressing tasks and needs for the recovery and restoration of 16 threatened, endangered and imperiled aquatic species.

Congress may not desire to fund a full restoration of the National Fish Hatchery System, but anything less than supporting President Bush's budget for hatcheries will further hurt local economies, allow more species to become threatened and endangered and destroy local fisheries populations that provide enjoyment for millions of Americans.