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S. 2880Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025

Sponsored by Gary C. PetersSen. Gary C. Peters (D-MI)
Introduced September 18, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 9:56 PM UTC

The Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025 establishes a federal program to mass‑tag hatchery‑raised fish released into the Great Lakes. By tagging 9‑11 million fish each year, the program aims to give state, tribal, and federal managers better data on how hatchery fish interact with wild populations, supporting fishery restoration, predator‑prey balance, and the region’s $7 billion‑plus economy. The program is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and requires collaboration and data sharing with relevant agencies.

Key Provisions

  • Creates the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to tag millions of hatchery‑produced fish in the Great Lakes.
  • Allows the program director to buy tagging equipment, fish tags, and related supplies, and to hire additional staff as needed.
  • Requires the director to work closely with federal, state, tribal fish agencies, the Council of Lake Committees, and other partners involved in Great Lakes fisheries management.
  • Mandates that data collected from the tagging effort be shared with those agencies to help evaluate hatchery performance, fishery management actions, habitat restoration, and economic impacts.
  • Authorizes $5 million per year in funding for the program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

September 18, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 18, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

September 18, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 18, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2880

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Husted) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To establish the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025.

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 relating to 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.

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).

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.

5.

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.