Trump Firings Threaten Great Lakes Ecosystem
Recent firings of 14 US Fish & Wildlife Service employees, along with a hiring freeze for seasonal workers, jeopardize decades of progress in controlling invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. This action, part of a larger federal government downsizing effort, threatens the multi-million dollar lamprey control program, which protects a multi-billion dollar fishery. A significant reduction in lamprey control efforts could lead to a drastic resurgence of the invasive species, reversing years of conservation success. The potential consequences include the collapse of the Great Lakes’ ecosystem and massive economic losses.
John Q. Hosedrinker