ABOUT NATIVE FISH COALITION
Native Fish Coalition was founded in 2017 by Tom Dickins, Bob Mallard and Emily Bastian. We are a nonpartisan, apolitical, grassroots, donor-funded, primarily volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the conservation, preservation and restoration of wild native fish. While most of our members are avid anglers, our focus is not limited to so-called “gamefish.” We are however often - but by no means always - focused on gamefish, and the reason is twofold: Native gamefish are often the species that are most threatened, and what is good for these fish 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 flora and fauna 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.
Native Fish Coalition recognizes that 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.