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.
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
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...
Wildlife Management
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.