WASHINGTON — November 15, 2013 — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday that it will not close any fish hatcheries this year, including two in Arkansas.
Greers Ferry and Forfork Fish Hatcheries in Arkansas will remain open at least through September 2014 as the federal service considers how to address long-term funding shortfalls for the program.
“We are putting a Band-Aid on the hatchery system. Unless we can find a way to cover costs in a more sustainable fashion, the system will eventually need surgery,” said federal Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe.
The Fish and Wildlife Service released a report Friday examining the challenges facing the National Fish Hatchery System. The report, Ashe said, sounds the alarm on a hatchery system unable to meet its mission responsibilities under the current budget climate.
Read the full story at Arkansas News