Canada Increases Investment in Sea Lamprey Control Program

SAULT STE MARIE, ON, April 4, 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to preserving our freshwater resources and protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species. On behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, announced today the Government of Canada's increased investment to help control the invasive Sea Lamprey and to protect valuable fisheries in the Great Lakes.

This new funding will increase the capacity of Canada's Sea Lamprey Control Program, which is the Canadian agent of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, to reduce Sea Lamprey numbers and advance protections for Great Lakes fisheries.    

Sea Lamprey is an incredibly destructive invasive species. The Sea Lamprey Control Program uses several techniques to target Sea Lampreys during different stages of their life cycle including focused lampricide treatments, physical barriers and trapping. The Canadian control program is tightly coordinated with the efforts of the United States to deliver an effective, border-blind approach to controlling this aggressive and resilient invasive species.

Today's funding will enable the establishment of a new team able to conduct lampricide treatments in deep water areas. The additional personnel will increase our capacity to assess Sea Lamprey abundance, to measure how effective treatments are, and ensure that control measures can be delivered with minimal risk to other aquatic species. The funding will increase our capacity to maintain and improve physical barriers and dams to block Sea Lampreys from migrating to spawning areas. Canada's investment will also allow the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to increase its research and coordination actions to protect and sustain fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Quote

"The Sea Lamprey Control Program of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission is a shining example of the binational commitment between Canada and the United States to protect the whole of the Great Lakes ecosystem. For generations our countries have worked cooperatively to reduce, and control, Sea Lamprey numbers.  I am pleased to be reaffirming our dedication to the health and longevity of our beloved fisheries through this increase in annual funding to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission."
Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie.

"Each sea lamprey will kill up to 20 kilograms of Great Lakes fish, which is why control of that destructive invader is essential to the $7 billion fishery. We are proud that Canada's Sea Lamprey Control Centre has been a part of the Soo community for more than fifty years.  It is no exaggeration to say that the men and women who deliver sea lamprey control have saved the Great Lakes fishery.  They could not do their work without the appreciation we all have for binational cooperation and without the commitment from the Government of Canada to fund this essential work."
Robert Lambe, Executive Secretary, Canadian-US Great Lakes Fishery Commission. 

Quick Facts

• As outlined in Budget 2017, Canada is investing $8.7 million over five years, with an ongoing annual increase of $2.5 million, for Sea Lamprey control, management and research.
• This investment represents an increase of 30% over the current annual contribution to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and its agents' programs.
• Sea Lamprey is a parasitic, invasive fish that attacks and kills large Great Lakes fish species, like trout, salmon, Sturgeon and Walleye. First found in Lake Ontario in the early 1800's, Sea Lampreys were responsible for the almost complete decimation of the Great Lakes fishery by 1950.  
• Sea Lampreys have been finding new areas to infest and increased control is needed to maintain successful suppression. An individual adult Sea Lamprey will kill 40 pounds of fish over its 12-18 month feeding period; therefore, any increase in Sea Lamprey numbers will have devastating impacts on Great Lakes fisheries.
• The Great Lakes Fishery Commission was established in 1955 by the Canadian/U.S. Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. The Commission, which is funded by Canada and the United States, coordinates fisheries research, controls the invasive Sea Lamprey, and facilitates cooperative fishery management among the state, provincial, tribal, and federal management agencies. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service acts as the U.S. agent to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Associated Links
Sea Lamprey 
Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca 

SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Central & Arctic Region