Native Fish Coalition Information

Native Fish Coalition is a nonpartisan, grassroots, donor-funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the conservation, preservation, and restoration of wild native fish. While most of our members are avid fly fishers, our focus is not limited to so-called “gamefish.” We are however primarily - but not exclusively - focused on salmonids, and the reason is twofold: Salmonids are often the species that are most threatened, and what is good for these native “indicator species” is good for all native fish. It is the belief of Native Fish Coalition that no stream, river, pond or lake is truly healthy or “restored” until its full complement of native species is intact and it is devoid of nonnative species and hatchery-raised fish. While clean water and healthy riparian zones are a necessary foundation for establishing healthy aquatic ecosystems, they are not an absolute indication of overall ecological health. The complete restoration of native species assemblages and the removal of nonnative fish is often not attainable, or practical. It is however a starting point and general blueprint for where we can make a difference. While our mission is absolute, our execution of that mission is pragmatic and based on reality and likelihood of success as much as ideology.