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Experts back new federal coordination to prevent aquatic invasives
Summary
Witnesses including the Great Lakes Fishery Commission supported HR 88‑76 to strengthen federal, state and tribal coordination on early detection, rapid response and management plans for aquatic invasive species, citing lessons from sea lamprey control.
Mark Gayden, executive secretary of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, told the subcommittee that coordinated early detection and rapid response are the most cost‑effective ways to prevent aquatic invasive species from becoming established. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," he said, and described the bill's provisions to codify regional panels, strengthen the aquatic nuisance species task force, and require regional management plans.
Gayden and Representative Wahlberg pointed to the sea lamprey control program as an instructive model of interstate and international cooperation that produced measurable fishery recoveries. The witness panel discussed expanding data sharing, joint planning, and dedicated rapid response funding to enable states and regional partners to act quickly when new invasions are detected, reducing long‑term ecological and economic damage.
