Funds under this grant award will be used to operate and maintain hatcheries to produce and stock freshwater sport fish in the public waters of south carolina

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Department of the Interior, awarded the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) $1,552,416.01 under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The grant funds the operation and maintenance of three primary freshwater fish hatchery production facilities and one associated satellite hatchery throughout South Carolina. These hatcheries produce and stock juvenile fish species including catchable and fingerling trout, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, sunfish, American shad, and channel catfish in public waters to support both naturally reproducing populations and put-grow-and-take fisheries across the state.

The Sport Fish Restoration program provides federal funding through excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel to support activities that restore, conserve, and enhance sport fish populations and public recreational fishing access. SCDNR's hatchery operations serve approximately 537,136 freshwater anglers in South Carolina and support a sport fisheries sector with economic impact exceeding $897 million annually. The continued funding for hatchery operations and maintenance is essential to sustaining sport fishing opportunities as population growth and increased development in South Carolina are expected to increase demand on these critical fish production facilities.

Fish hatcheries play an important role in south carolinas fisheries management program. Providing for the continual operation and maintenance of freshwater fish hatcheries is essential to providing many of the sport fishing opportunities in south carolina for 537,136 freshwater anglers. The fish produced at south carolina department of natural resources (scdnr) hatcheries significantly contribute to the support of freshwater sport fisheries in south carolina which has an economic impact exceeding $897 million. Coldwater and warmwater fish hatcheries produce and stock juvenile fish to support RE-establishment of naturally reproducing stocks that, in turn, support put, grown and take fisheries. Production of catchable and fingerling trout, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, sunfish, american shad and channel catfish support popular regional fisheries. With continued population growth and increased development in south carolina, IT is likely the demands placed on fish hatcheries will continue to increase. Providing funding for the operations and maintenance needs for these facilities will ensure continued sport fishing opportunities across south carolina. Scdnr will maintain, operate, and produce fish at three (3) freshwater hatchery production locations and one (1) associated satellite hatchery in order to produce and stock freshwater sportfish in the public waters of the state of south carolina.