45 



iliey may undertake long-term progrums lo benclil fish - a cushion Uicy lack witJioui a stable, 

 dependable national source of funds. 



The capabilities of State fisheries agencies liave blossomed under the Sport I'ish Restoration 

 Act. Previously, many of them had little money except for stocking offish and traditional 

 law enforcement duties. Federal Aid encouraged liigher standards and provided additional 

 money so States could afford lo employ more professional bioloijisis to plan more long-term 

 restorations such as establishing self-sustaining populations of fish. 



Management plans have paid off handsomely over the past four decades. Nuisance plants 

 were making life difficult for fish and anglers alike in some lakes; projects to lower water 

 levels at certain limes of the year corrected this problem. Likewise, projceis to remove 

 undesirable species of fish that had been competing with game tlsh made existing restocking 

 efforts more effective. 



"New" species of sport fish, including striped bass, toho salmon, and northern pike have been 

 introduced into favorable waters to increase spon fishing opportunities. Managers have 

 developed techniques in some southern inland lakes so that ocean species like the red drum, 

 spotted sea trout, and southern flounder have prospered in them much to the delight of 

 anglers. 



Research has controlled fish diseases for more economical and efficient hatchery production 

 Belter designs have been developed for fish ladders to enable migrating salmon and sieelhead 

 to reach spawning grounds. Careful monitoring has pinpointed sources of water pollution that 

 have interfered with fish reproduction and survival 



The Sport Fish Restoration Act has yielded benefits unimagined in 1'50 that have 

 transformed the American fisheries scene from one of depletion and decline to one of 

 renewed vigor and optimism 



Virtually unchanged since 1 950, the basic Sport Fish Restoration legislation was 

 supplemented in 1984 with new provisions that extended the excise tax to previously untaxed 

 items of .^porting equipment Under new provisions, named for Senator Malcolm Wallop of 

 Wyoming and Representative John Breaux of louisiana, ihe 10 percent tax was extended to 

 include tackle boxes and other types of recreational ilshing equipment, a 3 percent tax was 

 applied to electric trolling motor.* and flasher-iypc sonar fish finders, and import duties on 

 fishing tackle and pleasure boats were channeled into fisheries restoration. In addition, a 

 portion of tlie existing Federal lax on molorboai fuels was devoted to this program. 



The "Wallop-Breaux' provisions introduced a number of historic firsts to the sport fish 

 restoration program Twelve and one-half percent of all restoration money must now be spent 

 on projects providing boating access to public waters Cmisiul Slales are required to apply a 

 portion of their new "Wallop-Breaux" funds to programs enhancing marine recreational 

 fisheries. And .States may now elecl lo use up a 10 percent of their "Wallop-Breaux" funds 



