In an effort to protect fish in the St. Clair River, a coalition of U.S. and Canadian agencies will be conducting a survey of destructive parasites.
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, will be conducting work from June 3-12 to estimate the abundance of sea lampreys in the river. The information gathered will be used to determine the need for sea lamprey control.
Sea lampreys attach to fish with a suction cup mouth, rasp a hole through the fish’s scales and skin, and feed on blood and body fluids. The average sea lamprey will destroy up to 40 lbs. of fish during its parasitic phase.
Most lamprey surveys are conducted by electrofishing, but in deep waters crews use lamprey larvicide, which has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
Sea lampreys invaded the Great Lakes during the 1920s and have been a permanent, destructive element of the fishery ever since.
