Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Subcommittee weighs reauthorizing Great Lakes fishery research to support regional fisheries management
Loading...
Summary
Rep. Quigley and other members urged reauthorization of the Great Lakes Fishery Research Program within the USGS; testimony emphasized the program's role in monitoring invasive species, maintaining datasets and supporting fisheries that generate billions in economic activity.
Rep. Quigley of Illinois asked the subcommittee to reauthorize the Great Lakes Fishery Research Program at the U.S. Geological Survey, arguing the program provides critical scientific data for managing binational fisheries across the Great Lakes basin.
Quigley said the Great Lakes contain roughly 20% of the world's fresh surface freshwater and support commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries valued at about $5 billion and roughly 75,000 jobs. He urged a flat reauthorization at $15 million per year through 2030 to provide stable funding for the Great Lakes Science Center and its lakewide assessments.
Witnesses and members described key program uses such as sea lamprey control, invasive-species monitoring and harmful-algae-bloom impacts on fisheries. Quigley used a sea lamprey example to underscore stakes: "One sea lamprey can kill 40 pounds of Great Lakes fish over a 12 to 18 month feeding period," he said.
Members from across the region and industry representatives noted the program's importance for data continuity and its unique role in conducting multi-jurisdictional scientific assessments. The subcommittee did not take a vote on reauthorization at the hearing and left the record open for additional materials and follow-up responses from witnesses and agencies.
