Actually, those fish aren't the governments. They are the fish of the people of the United States of America, managed by state (and in case of migratory species, federal) game agencies. Your license purchase allows you to have a unique transaction when you legally decide to kill your quarry, there is a silent, trusted transfer of the game ownership from the citizens of this great country to you. Much like our conservation, it is one of the unique events in history.
Hunters and anglers were the ones that demanded regulations on our fish and game, not government. If not for these visionary conservationists we'd have no fish or game to pursue.
