Support our Mississippi River!

From Friends of the Refuge-Mississippi River Pools 7&8

The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery screening on February 15 at The Rivoli (more details coming soon!)

A small local group is coordinating with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the primary backer of The Fish Thief, to enable this screening. The Commission has coordinated screenings in several other locations around the Great Lakes, including in conjunction with outdoor and sports shows. 

The Commission is now planning to have a booth at the La Crosse Sport Show (February 12-15, 2026) to promote the documentary and expand their education and outreach – especially in light of their collaborations with our very own USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center on French Island which will also be represented at the Commission booth during the La Crosse Sport Show.

The 1.5-hour documentary tells the incredible story of the most successful integrated pest management program of any aquatic vertebrate. The documentary highlights USGS science, including that conducted at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center.  Commission staff and USGS scientists will attend the screening to answer questions about the Sea Lamprey Control Program and USGS science.

Last year we witnessed projected severe cuts to federal budgets and reductions in federal personnel including: National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USGS Ecosystem Mission Area (which funds the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center), and more. 

This is another local advocacy event to sustain funding for the management and research to sustain our natural resources, the first of 2026, to continue to tell the good stories of the people helping to protect the resources we value.