Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025
Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025 - Summary **What the Bill Does** This bill gives official legal authority to an existing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program that tags hatchery-raised fish released into the Great Lakes. By marking these fish, scientists can tell them apart from wild fish populations, which helps track how the stocked fish are doing and where they go. The bill would allow the program to expand by authorizing the purchase of tagging equipment and supplies and hiring additional staff to handle larger-scale operations. **Who It Affects and Key Provisions** The bill primarily affects fishing management in the Great Lakes region (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York), benefiting state and tribal fish management agencies, commercial and recreational fishermen, and fish conservation efforts.
The main provision requires that all data collected from this tagging program be shared with federal, state, and tribal agencies to help them make better decisions about managing the Great Lakes fishery. This could help improve fish populations and maintain healthy recreational and commercial fishing. **Current Status** The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and is now under consideration in the Senate. It enjoys bipartisan support and addresses a technical update to an existing conservation program that has been running since 2010.
CRS Official Summary
Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025This bill provides statutory authority for a program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the mass marking of hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes basin. Mass marking is the practice of tagging large numbers of hatchery-produced fish in order to distinguish them from the wild fish population. The FWS initiated the program in 2010 on a limited scale. Under the existing program, the FWS (1) tags hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes, and (2) produces data used by state and tribal fish management agencies to make management decisions regarding Great Lakes fisheries.This bill allows the FWS, in carrying out the program, to (1) purchase items to support and carry out tagging and tag recovery operations on a greater scale, and (2) hire additional personnel.The FWS must make the data collected under the program available to applicable federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies toincrease the understanding of the outcomes of management action;assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the Great Lakes;assist in balancing predators and prey;support and improve the economic status of tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries; andassist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.