WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Jack Bergman is looking into the possibility of rehiring U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service workers for sea lamprey control.
In February, about a dozen probationary FWS employees who were contracted by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to spray lampricide were fired. The terminations were part of an effort by the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce waste in the federal government.
Bergman says unchecked spawning by lamprey wreaks havoc on Great Lakes fisheries. He says he’s reached out to the FWS and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to get clarity on whether the fired workers can be rehired, or have their positions backfilled, in time for the 2025 lamprey spraying season.
