Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. TIFFANY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1917) to establish the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1917

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1) the Great Lakes have experienced rapid changes in recent years due to--

(A) the introduction of multiple aquatic invasive species;

(B) alterations in the food web; and

(C) decreases in the abundance of prey species;

(2) due to rapid biological change in the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes need a collaborative, science-based program to assist in making management actions regarding fish stocking rates, the rehabilitation of important fish species, and habitat restoration;

(3) the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin and Indian Tribes in those States, working through the Council of Lake Committees of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, have identified that mass marking is--

(A) a precise tool to keep hatchery-produced fish in balance with wild fish; and

(B) essential to achieving fishery management and research objectives through producing a better understanding of--

(i) the quantity of hatchery produced fish compared to wild fish in the Great Lakes;

(ii) the effectiveness of hatchery operations; and

(iii) the effectiveness of fishery management actions;

(4) the mass marking program of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes--

(A) was initiated in 2010 on a limited scale;

(B) annually tags approximately 9,000,000 to 11,000,000 of the hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes;

(C) is a basinwide cooperative effort among the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian Tribes, and State management agencies; and

(D) produces data used by State and Tribal fish management agencies to make management decisions regarding Great Lakes fisheries;

(5) annually, Federal, State, and Tribal agencies stock approximately 21,000,000 hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes to support--

(A) native species recovery; and

(B) recreational and commercial fishing;

(6) mass marking of hatchery-produced fish, using automated technology, is an efficient method of implementing a collaborative, science-based fishery program; and

(7) the Great Lakes are an important and valued resource that--

(A) supports a robust regional economy valued at more than $7,000,000,000; and

(B) provides stability to the economy of the United States. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

(2) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program established by section 4(a). SEC. 4. GREAT LAKES MASS MARKING PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--To assist in determining the effectiveness of hatchery operations and fisheries management actions and to support Great Lakes fisheries, there is established within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service a program for the mass marking of hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes basin, to be known as the ``Great Lakes Mass Marking Program''.

(b) Authorized Actions.--In carrying out the Program, the Director may--

(1) purchase capital and expendable equipment, fish tags, and other items necessary to support and carry out tagging and tag recovery operations, including data processing and data dissemination relating to those operations; and

(2) hire additional personnel, as necessary.

(c) Required Collaboration.--In carrying out the Program, the Director shall collaborate with applicable 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.

(d) Availability of Data.--The Director shall make the data collected under the Program available to applicable Federal, State, and Tribal fish management agencies--

(1) to increase the understanding of the outcomes of management action;

(2) to assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the Great Lakes, including the fish community objectives and fish management plans described in the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries;

(3) to assist in balancing predators and prey;

(4) to support and improve the economic status of Tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries; and

(5) to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat restoration efforts in the Great Lakes. SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program $2,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

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Mr. TIFFANY. 1917, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1917, the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025, sponsored by my colleague from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Tribal, commercial, and recreational fisheries in the five Great Lakes are home to 177 species of fish, including 139 native species.

These Tribal, commercial, and recreational fisheries have an annual economic value exceeding $7 billion and support over 75,000 jobs.

One of the greatest challenges facing the Great Lakes is the threat of invasive species, such as the sea lamprey and Asian carp. To counter these invasive species, Tribal, Federal, and State agencies introduce hatchery-raised fish to encourage the recovery of native species. For example, in 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 10 hatcheries that support the Great Lakes region introduced more than 4.7 million hatchery fish into the five Great Lakes.

To gather data on the success of hatchery fish, wildlife managers tag large numbers of these fish through a practice known as mass marking. This practice enables them to easily distinguish between hatchery fish and wild fish populations.

In addition to tagging hatchery fish, this program also plays a vital role in aiding cooperative fisheries management decisions with States and Tribes by producing data on the health of the fishery.

The Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act was administratively established in 2010 and continues to receive appropriations despite never being authorized by Congress. H.R. 1917 would provide formal congressional authorization for this existing program, thereby increasing the opportunity for congressional oversight over the program. Importantly, by providing a statutory authorization, it would better enable the Committee on Natural Resources to make substantive changes to how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the program, should changes be necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. TIFFANY. Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes are both an ecological and economic engine for our Nation. It is our duty as Members of Congress to safeguard them for future generations, and H.R. 1917 is a step forward in that process.

I thank Representatives Dingell, Walberg, and Huizenga for their efforts on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. TIFFANY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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