O
ur Environmental Chair; Steve Malo writes in;
ur Environmental Chair; Steve Malo writes in;A small group of Rotarians and guests met Fisheries & Oceans rep Gary Caron for a fascinating and informative hour on Big Creek to see a Sea Lamprey control facility. Sea lamprey moved into the Great Lakes by means of the Welland Canal and are now in all the Great Lakes. The first detected in Lake Erie was in 1921.
Gary catches up to 150 every day starting in April and ends in June. He weighs, documents the numbers and records the sex. A few are tagged and returned near the mouth of Big Creek to determine where they travel. Most are caught again in the trap within a few days.
There is a demand in many parts of the world for Sea Lamprey where they are considered a delicacy. In Great Britain the Sea Lamprey is a protected species. I found it interesting that the Sea Lamprey caught at this site are disposed of in a wood lot where they are eaten by such things as coyotes and raccoons. The lamprey attach to the side of a soft scaled fish and pierce into the fish and suck out the nutrients until the fish dies.
The lamprey numbers are also controlled by the application of a lampricide into the water. Thanks to the efforts of Gary we have an understanding of the Sea Lamprey.
Gary catches up to 150 every day starting in April and ends in June. He weighs, documents the numbers and records the sex. A few are tagged and returned near the mouth of Big Creek to determine where they travel. Most are caught again in the trap within a few days.
There is a demand in many parts of the world for Sea Lamprey where they are considered a delicacy. In Great Britain the Sea Lamprey is a protected species. I found it interesting that the Sea Lamprey caught at this site are disposed of in a wood lot where they are eaten by such things as coyotes and raccoons. The lamprey attach to the side of a soft scaled fish and pierce into the fish and suck out the nutrients until the fish dies.
The lamprey numbers are also controlled by the application of a lampricide into the water. Thanks to the efforts of Gary we have an understanding of the Sea Lamprey.
Go to the 'Read more ...' tab for several additional photos taken during a most informative visit.
