1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

The recent firings of 14 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees tasked with controlling invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes region pose a dire threat to the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery. For decades, this program has successfully reduced sea lamprey populations by 90% through carefully coordinated treatments of lakes and tributaries with selective lampricides. However, this progress is now jeopardized as the cuts have left the program severely understaffed and unable to carry out its critical work. Without action, lamprey populations could rapidly rebound, devastating fish stocks that are a vital economic and environmental resource for the region. To safeguard the fragile Great Lakes ecosystem and the livelihoods it supports, these personnel must be reinstated immediately to continue lamprey control efforts without interruption. The costs of allowing this destructive invasive species to reestablish itself would be environmentally and economically catastrophic in comparison to maintaining this long-running and effective program. Protecting the Great Lakes requires an investment in the dedicated personnel on the front lines of conservation efforts like this one. Reinstate these workers to ensure this critical program continues unimpeded.