Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act

Summary: Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act  This bill provides statutory authority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS's)Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, under which hatchery-produced fish are tagged and marked across the Great Lakes basin to be evaluated in terms of their performance in the wild or their effects on the ecosystem. The USFWS must make data collected under the program available to federal, state, and tribal fish management agencies.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Mass Marking Program 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Great Lakes have experienced rapid changes in 
        recent years due to--
                    (A) the introduction of multiple aquatic invasive 
                species;
                    (B) alterations in the food web; and
                    (C) decreases in the abundance of prey species;
            (2) due to rapid biological change in the Great Lakes, the 
        Great Lakes need a collaborative, science-based program to 
        assist in making management actions regarding fish stocking 
        rates, the rehabilitation of important fish species, and 
        habitat restoration;
            (3) the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, 
        Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin and Indian tribes 
        in those States, working through the Council of Lake Committees 
        of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, have identified that 
        mass marking is--
                    (A) a precise tool to keep hatchery-produced fish 
                in balance with wild fish; and
                    (B) essential to achieving fishery management and 
                research objectives through producing a better 
                understanding of--
                            (i) the quantity of hatchery produced fish 
                        compared to wild fish in the Great Lakes;
                            (ii) the effectiveness of hatchery 
                        operations; and
                            (iii) the effectiveness of fishery 
                        management actions;
            (4) the mass marking program of the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes--
                    (A) was initiated in 2010 on a limited scale;
                    (B) annually tags approximately 8,000,000 of the 
                hatchery-produced fish stocked in the Great Lakes;
                    (C) is a basinwide cooperative effort among the 
                United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian tribes, 
                and State management agencies; and
                    (D) produces data used by State and tribal fish 
                management agencies to make management decisions 
                regarding Great Lakes fisheries;
            (5) annually, Federal, State, and tribal agencies stock 
        approximately 21,000,000 hatchery-produced fish in the Great 
        Lakes to support--
                    (A) native species recovery; and
                    (B) recreational and commercial fishing;
            (6) mass marking of hatchery-produced fish, using automated 
        technology, is an efficient method of implementing a 
        collaborative, science-based fishery program; and
            (7) the Great Lakes are an important and valued resource 
        that--
                    (A) supports a robust regional economy valued at 
                more than $7,000,000,000; and
                    (B) provides stability to the economy of the United 
                States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
            (2) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Great Lakes 
        Mass Marking Program established by section 4(a).

SEC. 4. GREAT LAKES MASS MARKING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--To assist in determining the effectiveness of 
hatchery operations and fisheries management actions and to support 
Great Lakes fisheries, there is established within the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service a program for the mass marking of hatchery-
produced fish in the Great Lakes basin, to be known as the ``Great 
Lakes Mass Marking Program''.
    (b) Required Collaboration.--In carrying out the Program, the 
Director shall collaborate with applicable Federal, State, and tribal 
fish management agencies, the Council of Lake Committees of the Great 
Lakes Fishery Commission, and signatories to the Joint Strategic Plan 
for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries.
    (c) Availability of Data.--The Director shall make the data 
collected under the Program available to applicable Federal, State, and 
tribal fish management agencies--
            (1) to increase the understanding of the outcomes of 
        management action;
            (2) to assist in meeting the restoration objectives of the 
        Great Lakes, including the fish community objectives and fish 
        management plans described in the Joint Strategic Plan for 
        Management of Great Lakes Fisheries;
            (3) to assist in balancing predators and prey;
            (4) to support and improve the economic status of tribal, 
        recreational, and commercial fisheries; and
            (5) to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of habitat 
        restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.