Fish and Wildlife Act
The Fish and Wildlife Act, enacted on August 8, 1956, is a significant piece of U.S. federal legislation designed to regulate fish and wildlife resources, particularly focusing on the commercial fishing industry. The act established the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the Department of the Interior and created key leadership positions to oversee its functions. It aimed to protect sportfishing rights and enhance public access to fish and wildlife resources. The legislation also initiated the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, which managed a Fisheries Loan Fund to support various fisheries operations, preservation efforts, and equipment for fishing vessels.
Additionally, the act allocated research funding to investigate domestic and foreign fish production, biological needs, and the effects of chemicals on aquatic life. It underscored the importance of managing renewable resources for economic and food supply stability while also aiming to generate employment and bolster national defense. Over the years, amendments to the act have further focused on developing wildlife refuges and promoting educational programs for the public, reflecting a broader commitment to conservation and sustainable resource management.
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Subject Terms
Fish and Wildlife Act
THE LAW: U.S. federal legislation regulating fish and wildlife resources
DATE: Enacted on August 8, 1956
Although the Fish and Wildlife Act focused on the commercial fishing industry in the United States, it also laid out protections for sportfishing and expanded general public opportunities for access to fish and wildlife resources.
The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 established the US Fish and Wildlife Service within the Department of the Interior; the act also created the positions of director and assistant secretary of the Fish and Wildlife Service, with both positions to be appointed by the president of the United States with Senate approval. The act focused on the commercial fishing industry and provided administration to make sure that American citizens would maintain the right to fish for recreational purposes. The act created the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, which would oversee the $10 million Fisheries Loan Fund. This fund would be used to invest in operations relating to fisheries; to provide for preservation, restoration, and equipment for fishing vessels; and to study concerns in the fisheries themselves.
Annual research money of up to $5 million was another provision of the act. The reports generated by the research would cover topics such as the domestic production of fish and fish goods, the foreign production of such goods as they affect American industries, the biological information needed to understand these industries, and the creation of more fish and wildlife refuges. Also to be funded were investigations into the impacts of pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides on fish and wildlife, including determination of the levels of such chemicals that could be dangerous.
The act was implemented to reserve and plan for the proper management of the valuable renewable resources of fish, shellfish, and wildlife, which contribute to the US economy and food supply. Other stated justifications for the act were that it would generate employment opportunities, would fortify the national defense with trained sailors and available ships, and would improve the general health and physical fitness of sportspersons who could serve in times of military necessity. Amendments to the act in the years since its passage have added requirements for the secretary of the interior to develop wildlife refuges and to provide education programs for the public.
Bibliography
"Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956." US Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/law/fish-and-wildlife-act-1956. Accessed 17 July 2024.
Hathaway, Jessica. “Fifty Years Ago (Fishing Back When).” National Fisherman, September 2006, 8.
"History of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service." US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2020, www.fws.gov/history-of-fws. Accessed 17 July 2024.
McKay, David. “Environmental Politics.” In American Politics and Society. 7th ed. Malden, Mass.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.