The fight against an invasive species in the St Clair River is being ramped up this month.
Starting on June 20th, an assessment crew with the US Fish and Wildlife Service will be conducting a survey to determine how many sea lampreys and larvae are in the river.
According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, sea lampreys attach to fish with their suction cup mouth then dig their teeth into flesh for grip. Once securely attached, sea lampreys rasp through the fish’s scales and skin with their sharp tongue. Sea lampreys feed on the fish’s body fluids by secreting an enzyme that prevents blood from clotting, similar to how a leech feeds off its host.
Sea lampreys invaded the Great Lakes during the 1920s and have been a permanent, destructive element of the fishery ever since.
The sea lamprey control program run by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Geological Survey.
