Impacts Of Sea Lamprey On Lake Trout

The issue of the invading sea lampreys should stop because of all the sea lamprey control methods.  Pheromones and natural attractants are used to control the behaviour of sea lampreys in the wild.  TFM is a chemical substance that kills sea lampreys without significant effect on other species.  Barriers are used to block adult sea lampreys from moving upstream.  Lampricide treatments are used against this invasive species.  Electro – fishing is a method used to get the larvae to leave their burrows.  Computer systems are set up along streams to track sea lampreys.  Traps are also used to prevent movement of sea lampreys.  Many of these control methods prevent sea lampreys from attacking species, which prevents the issue from continuing.  If the sea lampreys are monitored and controlled, they cannot attack the local fish species.  Therefore the issue should not continue.

 

Although many of these methods are effective, they are also very costly.  An alternative beneficial method would be a method that is less expensive.  Sea lamprey control costs Canada about $8 million per year.  Using cheaper equipment in the traps and barriers may reduce the cost of the control methods.  It also may be effective to find a way to produce sea lamprey killing chemicals at a cheaper rate, or it may be effective to create a new killing chemical that does not affect other species.