Director Steven A. Williams
at the CITGO BASS MASTERS CLASSIC

July 25, 2002

Thank you for inviting me here today; however, I would rather join the likes of Davey Hite out on the lake and take my best shot at dethroning BASS Master champ Kevin VanDam.

Although the tournament brings the best bass anglers together out there on Lay Lake, duty brings us together here in this room. In a very real way, you are in the position to direct the conservation of aquatic resources at the national level. This opportunity is somewhat unprecedented and it is my challenge to you.

I am still fairly new at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But I am not new to the sport of fishing or to some of you in this room. For those who don't know me, let me tell you a little bit about myself. Before being selected as Director of the Service by President Bush and Secretary Norton, I worked for the state wildlife management agencies of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. Like many of you, I am an avid hunter and angler. That also makes me an avid conservationist.

Sportsmen and women notice when fish are healthy, when there aren't as many ducks as last year, when deer have overbrowsed the woods. Fishing and hunting bring us into direct, personal contact with nature in a way no other activity can. In many ways, we are the first line of conservation defense.

It is no coincidence that hunters and anglers have been the most reliable allies of fish and wildlife management from the very beginning. However, the issues fisheries and wildlife managers face have changed. For example, fisheries managers have gone from stocking fish to mitigating the effects of federal water projects to managing for self-sustaining populations. About the only thing that hasn't changed is the steadfast support of conservation-minded anglers like you. Hunting and fishing have and will continue to play a major role in fish and wildlife conservation, and both are a priority for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Unfortunately, as the mission of fish and wildlife management has expanded, there also has grown a general feeling that agencies like the Fish and Wildlife Service are leaving their old friends behind. For the sake of fisheries conservation, we cannot afford to lose the faith of the angling community, especially now, when the situation for fish and aquatic habitat is challenging. Dams and other barriers fracture river runs. Pollution and sedimentation are degrading some aquatic habitats. Ailments like whirling disease and large-mouth bass virus are causing dramatic fish kills. Invasive species, like the northern snakehead, which is grabbing headlines in Maryland, and the old diehards like zebra mussels and Asian carp are pushing out the natives. This last problem cannot be overemphasized. In Florida, there are now more exotic fish species than native species. In San Francisco Bay, we see a new species establish itself every two weeks.

All these things combine to have a devastating impact. You can see it just by looking at the endangered species list. One third of America's fish species are listed as either endangered or threatened. Among them are some prized game fish, like sturgeon, salmon, Apache and Gila trout, and greenback cutthroat trout. Fish aren't the only ones in trouble. Other endangered aquatic species include 70 mussel species, 21 crustacean species, and 19 amphibian species. These are all symptomatic of the unhealthy state of our waterways.

This situation demands action, and that is why we are here – to talk about the Fish and Wildlife Service's strategic plan for its fisheries program. As part of this effort, I want to restore balance to the Service's role in fish and wildlife management. A large part of that involves mending fences with the angling community. And a big part of that is working with you to create a vision for the Service's Fisheries Program.

What we need are strong partnerships among the Fish and Wildlife Service, the state fishery agencies, the fishing and boating industry, and the conservation and angling communities. And we need better mechanisms to engage the public in fisheries conservation. The Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council has been an active partner since 1995, advising the Department of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service on key issues affecting boaters and anglers. Of course, BASS has been a key player on the Council since its inception and has helped keep us in casting distance of real fishermen and women through meetings like this one. The Council was instrumental in establishing the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, which, under a cooperative agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service, is creating new ways to inspire the American public to get more involved in fishing, boating, and natural resource stewardship. And through BASS Federations, so many of which are represented here today, we have wonderful regional and local connections to anglers. However, we are up against a lot of competition for the public's attention. To be successful in convincing our fellow citizens to take a stand on behalf of clean and healthy waterways, we have to work together more than we already are.

The Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council is a major player in helping steer the Service's Fisheries Program in the right direction. The Council is a model partnership. It has cast a huge net to help us engage the right partners and stakeholders in the decision-making process. It is precisely the kind of collaborative approach Interior Secretary Norton sees as the future of natural resource management. Later on, Jim Martin from Pure Fishing will share more with you about the Council and its recent tireless efforts to guide the Service on the future of the National Fish Hatchery System and, through its recently completed report – A Partnership Agenda for Fisheries Conservation – to provide key recommendations as the Service develops its Fisheries strategic plan. I also should tell you that BASS Conservation Director Bruce Shupp was intimately involved in the Council's work on the strategic plan from the get-go. Jim and Bruce are both knowledgeable, hard-working fisheries professionals with the best interests of our Nation's fisheries foremost in their minds. I'm glad to thank them publicly for their wonderful contributions on serious public policy issues. I should add that a number of state fish chiefs also participated actively in this effort and also deserve praise.

Copies of both the Service's strategic plan and the Council's earlier report are available here for you today. I urge you to take one and read it. The strategic plan identifies two causes at the root of the conservation problems we see in our waterways: invasive species and aquatic habitat loss. The plan also recognizes that no one agency can address all the fisheries issues of the day. It is going to take all of us, working together, to turn the tide, to make sure we act now to conserve aquatic resources for years to come. The commitments outlined in the plan are straightforward – protect the health of aquatic habitats, restore fish and other aquatic resources, and provide opportunities for the public to enjoy the benefits of healthy aquatic resources.

Last week, I sent a draft of the Fisheries strategic plan to the Department of the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget. I sent it forward with a great deal of pride because it reflects the consensus of the Service and its fisheries partners. On Friday – tomorrow – BASS will present a morning session on the strategic plan. I encourage all of you to attend. At that session, you will have an opportunity to provide your thoughts on, opinions of, and ideas for the plan. Bruce tells me it will be a pretty high-tech operation, with computer polling and electronic graphics. I think you'll enjoy it. So take this opportunity to be a part of the future of fisheries conservation in this country.

Of course, it's important to keep in mind that the strategic plan is just the beginning. Once it is finalized, we'll need your help to implement it and put it to work on the ground. I want to touch quickly on where things stand with a few of the challenges we face right now.

We are aware of the concerns regarding large mouth bass virus. Bruce Shupp and BASS deserve special recognition in this area because they have taken the initiative to get to the bottom of this issue. The Service has some of the most advanced fish health labs in the world and some of the leading experts on aquatic diseases. But ultimately the ones who can really help us get to the root of this phenomena are the anglers out on the water. Anglers are on the front lines of conservation defense, and that is certainly true with the large mouth bass virus issue. Anglers first noticed the die-offs, and it was a prominent member of the angling community – BASS – that first moved quickly on this.

The same is true of the next challenge I want to highlight, and that is invasive species. To give a current example of anglers' crucial role here, recall how we learned about the northern snakehead in Maryland. We found out from an angler who caught one. Thanks to his knowledge of fish, he realized he had something unusual in his hands. He was informed enough about fishery issues to take the specimen to the experts. For those of you who haven=t read the many news stories about this fearsome fish, the northern snakehead is an omnivorous critter that can eat everything in a small pond, then waddle off across land on its belly to find new waters and new prey. As a result of one alert angler, fish managers got a fairly good jump on the problem. In fact, the Department of the Interior announced yesterday that we will be seeking a total ban on the import of these creatures.

That brings me to the final point I want to make, and that is the importance of outreach and engaging the public in fishery conservation. Imagine the impact we could have on invasive species if we were able to engage everyone who enjoys recreational opportunities in the water. A public that is engaged in fisheries conservation could help us tackle the invasive species issues and habitat problems, too.

The question is how do we get everyone involved? Fishing is part of the answer. The Service's 2001 National Survey of Wildlife-Associated Recreation found that fishing continues to be a favorite pastime for Americans, enjoyed by 16 percent of the population. That is a pretty good figure. However, I'd like to see it increase. I'm committed to putting the "fish" back in the Fish and Wildlife Service and during my watch, the Service will work to enhance fishing in the United States.

There are several ways the Service and the states can promote fishing. There is the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program that has provided state fish and wildlife agencies with more than 2.6 billion dollars since 1950. That is money generated by anglers and boaters. They have a stake in how the money is spent and they deserve credit for helping build or reconstruct more than 1,200 fishing and boating access sites, purchase more than 260,000 acres of aquatic habitat, educate the public about fish and their habitat, and fund research that enables the country to better manage fisheries.

The "Water Works Wonders" campaign has already demonstrated its marketing success and I urge States to consider adopting the program.

And of course the Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System. Next year, the Refuge System celebrates its centennial. Three hundred out of 538 refuges offer fishing opportunities. Through the 1998 Refuge System Improvement Act, fishing and hunting are recognized as priority public uses, meaning that the Service must enhance hunting and fishing opportunities on refuges if these activities are compatible with the refuge's purpose. At the Service, we intend to use the centennial year to promote fishing on refuges and to spotlight the conservation legacy created by America's anglers and hunters.

Let me say once more in closing that I intend to restore balance to the Service. Now more than ever, with America's fish and aquatic resources facing unprecedented threats, it is essential that we maintain the historically strong partnership between groups like BASS and the angling community and the fish and wildlife management profession. The future of fisheries conservation in America depends on it.

Thank you.