The Pacific Region Fish Health Program protects the health and welfare of fish living in the wild and on Federal and partner hatcheries in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. With healthy fish we can be confident that fish survive in the wild to support the Service’s mitigation and recovery goals.

What We Do

Fish Health Program personnel must apply knowledge of several scientific disciplines including fish biology, microbiology, epidemiology, toxicology, pathology, physiology, histology, and genetics. They must understand environmental conditions and fish requirements, the interactions of wild and cultured fish, and how those factors influence disease and overall aquatic animal health.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Veterinarian inspects the health of Quilcene National Fish Hatchery coho salmon.
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Normal Fish Health Program activities include:

  • frequently checking on the general health of fish within hatcheries;
  • screening for diseases (viral, bacterial, parasites) dangerous to fish;
  • investigating health problems in wild fish populations;
  • recommending treatments for specific diseases;
  • giving advice on how to prevent or minimize impacts of disease on fish populations.

Latest News

A Service Veterinarian examines the health of juvenile salmon at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery
A Rx for Conservation
The agency's Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership program collects data and conducts research to aid in the Food and Drug Administration’s aquatic drug approval process. It is the only program in the United States which is dedicated to obtaining safe and effective medications to improve fish...
a big silver colored fish
Wildlife Management
Wild Fish Health Survey - Protecting Wild Fisheries
Just like in human populations, fish diseases can emerge and spread naturally, or they can be unintentionally spread from one population of fish to another. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s fish health centers have launched a new tool to help in the fight to protect wild fisheries.
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Our Library

The Pacific Region Fish Health Program produces a publication called the “Fish Health News”.  The News covers all kind of fish health issues, and describes disease organisms, diseases, and management strategies.  Every issue includes many pictures and illustrations, and a very popular section of “Fun Factoids.”

Read our latest edition, Issue 12: July 2022: Making [Fish Health] Treatment Decisions.

Fish Health News You Can Use (July 2022 Edition)
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Fish Health News You Can Use (July 2022 Edition)

In this edition of Fish Health News You Can Use, Pacific Region Fish Health Program Manager Andy Goodwin talks about the complicated variety of factors, and trade offs, that need to be considered when fish health experts and hatchery managers move from diagnosing fish health issues to making...

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Location and Contact Information