United States Commission on Fish and Fisheries founded

Background. By the 1860s, increasing human pressure on fish resources became apparent to the U.S. government. Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, a Democratic congressman from New York's 4th Congressional District, originated a bill in the House of Representatives to create the commission. The commission was subsequently established as an independent agency with a mandate to investigate the causes of decreasing commercial fish populations in coastal and inland waters.

Establishment. The commission was formally created by a joint resolution of Congress on February 9, 1871. It began operations in 1871 with a budget of $5,000. The agency was organized to conduct scientific, statistical, and economic investigations of U.S. fisheries, specifically studying the decrease of food fishes and suggesting remedial measures.

Leadership. Spencer Fullerton Baird, an American naturalist and the first curator at the Smithsonian Institution, was appointed as the first Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. He served in this role from 1871 to 1887. His background in natural history and museum curation influenced the commission's scientific approach.