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national economy. 



As you know, degradation of the Nation's aquatic ecosystems and 

 loss of aquatic biodiversity have reached critical levels. 

 Entire hydrologic systems and natural diversity of all forms of 

 aquatic and riparian species are at risk. 



The Environmental Protection Aqency estimates that nearly one- 

 fourth of our Nation's 3.25 million miles of streams are affected 

 by municipal or industrial effluents. It is estimated that we 

 have destroyed rouqhly 117 million acres of wetlands since the 

 late Eighteenth Century. Nearly half of the animals on the 

 federal list of threatened and endanqered species are aquatic. 

 In the past 100 years, at least 27 species and 13 subspecies of 

 North American fishes have become extinct, primarily as a result 

 of habitat loss or alteration. More than 100 other species, 

 subspecies, or populations of fish are now listed as threatened 

 or endanqered. 



Declininq fish populations have resulted in siqnificant financial 

 losses for the commercial and recreational fishinq industries. 

 The decline of Atlantic coast striped bass populations cost an 

 estimated 7,500 jobs and $220 million between 1974 and 1980. 

 Economic losses in the Great Lakes fisheries are estimated at 

 $1.4 billion annually. Commercial harvest of Pacific salmon in 

 Washinqton, Oreqon, and California, dropped from $200 million in 



