Commentary: Consider the effects of federal funding cuts on Great Lakes fishery, sea lamprey control

I retired Sept. 30, 2024, after 34-plus years of federal service. In my last position, I led the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Sea Lamprey Technical Assistance Program at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in La Crosse, Wis. I reference my previous role to demonstrate my knowledge and familiarity with the subject I’ll discuss – not as a government representative.
The Great Lakes fishery collapsed in the mid-1900s due to overfishing and because of intensive predation from invasive parasitic sea lamprey that became established throughout the Great Lakes following improvements to the Welland Canal between lakes Erie and Ontario.