U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE ANNOUNCES NO FISH HATCHERY CLOSURES THIS YEAR
Lahonton National Fish Hatchery (Photo credit: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region ) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today announced that it does not intend to close any of the nation’s national fish hatcheries in the current fiscal year, but warned that closures may be necessary in FY 2015 given fiscal uncertainty and growing operations costs. The Service released a report today examining the challenges facing the Service’s National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), which will serve as the basis of discussions with stakeholders on how best to operate the system in a more sustainable manner while supporting the agency’s highest fish and aquatic conservation priorities. “This report sounds the alarm on a hatchery system unable to meet its mission responsibilities in the current budget climate,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “In the coming months through the 2015 budget process, I have directed the Service to work with all of our partners to determine whether the opti...