Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S.)

Last modified: 2015-04-25 by rick wyatt
Keywords: departmental | fish and wildlife service | united states |
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image by Joe McMillan, 27 December 2001

• History
• Description
• 1949 flag
• Boat Pennant
• Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service

See also:

• Department of the Interior
• Departmental Flags
• United States of America

The Fish and Wildlife Service was formed in the Department of the Interior in 1939 by merging the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Biological Survey and the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Fisheries. In 1970, Executive Order 11564 established the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Department of Commerce. The commercial saltwater fisheries functions of the F&WS were transferred to NOAA as the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Joe McMillan, 16 December 1999

At the Army Institute of Heraldry a couple of weeks ago, I discovered the manufacturing drawing for the current distinguishing flag of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (drawing number 5-1-710, dated 13 December 1991).
[Note: This is not necessarily the date this design was adopted.] It is white with a complicated badge in which the goose has metamorphosed into a duck and both it and the fish have been reduced almost to invisibility. The badge is surrounded by something that isn't even a motto but more of a mission statement.
Joe McMillan, 27 December 2001

1949 Flag

image by Joe McMillan, 29 October 2000

The Fish and Wildlife Service flew a flag divided from upper hoist to lower fly, white over blue, with the silhouettes of a Canada goose in flight in blue in the upper fly and a jumping fish in white in the lower hoist. This flag was flown at the head of the forwardmost mast of F&WS ships.
Joe McMillan, 29 October 2000

image by Joe McMillan, 29 October 2000

Fish and Wildlife Service boats used a swallowtailed pennant form of this flag at a staff in the bow.
Joe McMillan, 29 October 2000

image by Joe McMillan, 29 October 2000

The Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service's flag, as of 1949, was the same as the Service flag, but all blue with both silhouettes in white.
Joe McMillan, 29 October 2000