The Federation of Fly Fishers notes that throughout North America native fish populations have declined from historical levels, particularly over the last century or more, due to the cumulative effects of overharvest, water management, past fisheries management practices, agricultural, forestry, and mining, and other land use practices, habitat alteration or degradation, and the widespread introduction of non-native fish species. Today, the goal of many fisheries management agencies and programs is to preserve or restore native fish species to some portion of their historical native range. These goals have been driven by the legal mandates of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in part and by the increased value that anglers, fisheries managers, conservation organizations, and other concerned citizens recently have placed on native fishes in native habitats.
The Federation of Fly Fishers' native fish restoration policy herein sets forth clear principles to enable our members, clubs, and councils to speak with a consistent voice regarding proposals to restore endemic fish populations to historical habitat. A growing number of proposed restoration projects for game and non-game species challenge our ethics as sport anglers when we must choose between a popular exotic sport fishery and a conflicting imperative to restore native fish or amphibians. The policy recognizes that many proposed restoration projects are controversial among the angling community. It also recognizes that flexibility is required to handle a wide range of restoration settings and species.
Most importantly, a strong native fish restoration policy maintains and enhances the FFF's moral authority to question and fight assaults on the aquatic environments we treasure. It affirms our support for the Endangered Species Act and all its tools for protecting vital habitat.