Many of these early spawning stations later became fish hatcheries, marking the beginning of the Fisheries Program and the NFHS.
President Ulysses S. Grant was chiefly responsible for the first official government action to conserve U.S. fishery resources for future generations.
Originally Spencer Fullerton Baird was chosen by President Ulysses S. Grant to manage the fisheries in the country.
Hatchery-reared fish are now used to replace fish that were lost from natural events including drought, flood, habitat destruction, or human influences such as over-harvest, pollution, habitat loss due to development and dam construction.
This is necessary in order to establish fish populations that meet specific management needs, and to provide for the creation of new and expanded recreational fisheries opportunities.
The role of the NFHS has changed significantly over the past 30 years as a result of the increasing demands recently placed upon various aquatic systems.
Major responsibilities of the NFHS, besides mentioned fish propagation, now include helping to recover species listed under the Endangered Species Act, restoring native aquatic populations, mitigating for fisheries lost as a result of federal water projects, and providing fish to benefit Indian tribes and National Wildlife Refuges.
The Fisheries Program continues to work with its stakeholders — Federal agencies, state resource agencies, tribal governments, and private organizations — to complement habitat restoration and other resource management strategies for maintaining healthy ecosystems that support healthy fisheries.