Mike Quigley: “I thank my colleagues for considering this bill, the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act. This bill would…”

“I thank my colleagues for considering this bill, the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act. This bill would reauthorize critical Great Lakes research programs at $15 million per year for 5 years. I thank my colleague, Representative Huizenga, for his partnership on this bill in the House. Protecting and restoring our Great Lakes has long been a bipartisan priority. I am proud of our work together on this topic. Lake Michigan is the pride and joy of Chicago, but the native ecosystems are at risk. My colleagues might have noticed the poster behind me. This is a sea lamprey. They are not native to the Great Lakes, but they have found their way in. When left unchecked, they wreak havoc on our ecosystems. If this graphic doesn't convince my colleagues that we don't want these suckers in the Great Lakes, I am not sure what will. Kind of like a giant leech, their suction-cup mouth clamps onto native fish species to feed on them. One sea lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of Great Lakes fish over a 12- to 18-month feeding period, and that is just one of the threats we are currently up against. Alongside the sea lamprey, there are over 60 invasive species in the Great Lakes. Those include zebra mussels, rusty crayfish, and round goby. They compete for the same resources and prey on native species. Many don't have natural predators in the Great Lakes. Without intervention, these invasive species will be 'eely' bad for our native fish and plant populations.”