Federal lawmakers representing the state of Michigan in Congress have reintroduced legislation that would improve the U.S. government’s ability to track hatchery-origin fish in the Great Lakes.
“This bill provides the tools needed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement a mass marking program for every hatchery fish in the Great Lakes region, which will allow fishery managers to collect valuable, timely information, ultimately improving the effectiveness and efficiency of hatchery operations and fishery management,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) said in a statement.
The Great Lakes are home to 177 different species of fish, with commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries jointly providing USD 7 billion (EUR 6.5 billion) in economic value to the region.
However, invasive species have had a devastating impact on the lakes’ fisheries, and governments rely on hatchery programs to restock the lakes and help native species recover. There are currently 10 national fishery hatcheries serving the Great Lakes; in 2024, those hatcheries stocked 4.8 million fish in the lakes.
Since 2010, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has marked many of the fish raised in hatcheries, allowing the government to better understand how they are interacting with the Great Lakes ecosystem.
“Mass marking is the practice of tagging large numbers of hatchery-raised fish so we can easily distinguish them from the wild fish population. The implementation of this practice will help us better understand the fish populations of our Great Lakes and the cultural, economic, recreational, and food benefits they provide,” Dingell said.
Currently, USFWS only has the resources to mark about 41 percent of hatchery fish, according to Dingell. The Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act – introduced by Dingell and fellow Michigan lawmakers U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) and U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Michigan) – would establish a federal mass marking program and provide USD 5 million (EUR 4.6 million) in annual funding to support the effort.
"The Great Lakes boast diverse wildlife and sustain a thriving USD 7 billion fishing industry," U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg said in a statement. "Large-scale fish marking allows us to better track migratory patterns and population changes and improve conservation practices. By implementing the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, we are ensuring that we have the tools to better understand and protect the long-term health of our fisheries."
Similar legislation has been proposed by Michigan lawmakers in previous Congresses, although the measure has yet to receive a vote in either the House or Senate.
