H.R. 1917 — Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings regarding rapid changes in the Great Lakes ecosystem due to aquatic invasive species, food web alterations, and decreases in prey species; the need for a collaborative, science-based fishery management program involving fish stocking, species rehabilitation, and habitat restoration; the value of mass marking hatchery-produced fish as identified by states and tribes; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mass marking program initiated in 2010 that annually tags 9 million to 11 million fish in a cooperative effort with states and tribes; annual stocking of approximately 21 million hatchery-produced fish by federal, state, and tribal agencies to support native species recovery and recreational and commercial fishing; and the economic value of the Great Lakes (over $7 billion).

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, the term "Director" as the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the term "Program" as the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program established by section 4(a).

This section establishes within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program to mass mark hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes basin, assisting in evaluating hatchery operations and fisheries management actions. In carrying out the program, the director may (1) purchase equipment, fish tags, and related items for tagging, recovery, data processing, and dissemination; and (2) hire additional personnel. The director must collaborate with federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies, the Council of Lake Committees of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and signatories to the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries. The director must make program data available to applicable agencies (1) to assess management outcomes; (2) to meet Great Lakes restoration objectives, including fish community objectives in the Joint Strategic Plan; (3) to balance predators and prey; (4) to support Tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries economically; and (5) to evaluate habitat restoration effectiveness.