The Government of Canada is making an investment in new infrastructure to help prevent the spread of invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes and their tributaries.
The additional $8 million investment over two years to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission was announced at the Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
The new infrastructure funding will improve physical barriers that prevent sea lamprey from accessing suitable spawning and nursery habitats in the upstream reaches of several Great Lakes tributaries.
Canada’s Sea Lamprey Control Program (SLCP) uses several techniques to target sea lampreys during different stages of the life cycle including lampricides, physical barriers, and trapping.
The SLCP has been effective in controlling this aggressive and resilient invasive species, and remains critical in restoring balance to the Great Lakes ecosystem.
The investment will be directed towards the maintenance and improvement of low-head physical barriers, as well as the rehabilitation of dams built for other purposes that also serve an important role in sea lamprey control.
Sea Lamprey Facts:
Sea lampreys are a parasitic invasive fish that attack and kill other species of fish that support recreational, commercial, and indigenous fisheries in the Great Lakes.
First introduced in the 1800s, Sea Lampreys were responsible for the almost complete decimation of the Great Lakes fishery by the mid-20th Century.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada contributes $8.1 million annually to the Sea Lamprey Control Program. The newly announced $8 million investment is in addition to this ongoing annual funding.
The Sea Lamprey Control Program has reduced sea lamprey populations by 90 percent in most areas of the Great Lakes.
source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada