Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

S. 2880 would establish the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill would authorize the agency to work with state and tribal governments to implement mass marking of hatchery-produced fish in the Great Lakes. Mass marking involves tagging large numbers of hatchery fish to distinguish them from wild fish populations, allowing managers to track migratory patterns and population changes. Currently, only about 40 percent of hatchery fish are marked; this bill would expand the program to mark substantially more fish annually.

The program would provide data to federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies to help them make informed decisions about Great Lakes fisheries. This information would support efforts to restore native species, evaluate the effectiveness of fish stocking and habitat restoration, and sustain both recreational and commercial fishing. The bill would authorize the Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase equipment and hire additional personnel to carry out tagging and tag recovery operations on a larger scale. The Great Lakes fisheries are economically significant, supporting a multi-billion dollar industry and providing recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to the region.