麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Blood-sucking sea lampreys threaten Great Lakes ecosystem

Share
TORONTO -

The bi-national Great Lakes Fishery Commission is spreading awareness of a blood-sucking fish that has been wreaking havoc to ecosystems for decades.

The sea lamprey, a snake-like fish that has more than 100 teeth and a suction-cup mouth it uses to latch onto and penetrate the scales of other fish. According to , each lamprey can kill up to 20 kilograms of fish in span of 12 to 18 months, and only 1 in seven fish survive its attacks.

鈥淭hey can inflict incredible damage,鈥 Marc Gaden of the Great Lakes Comission told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Monday.

鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of succulent fish in the Great Lakes that these lamprey like to eat and since there鈥檚 nothing keeping them in check, it's this perfect storm of invasion,鈥 he said.

Sea lampreys made their way to North America through shipping canals in the Atlantic Ocean more than a century ago, causing severe damage in the 1950s and early 1960s that led to the collapse of the Great Lakes fishery and nearly destroying the ecosystem. The sea lamprey invasion caused a 98 per cent decline in lake trout at the time, leading to the creation of the

The commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries of the Great Lakes have collectively created more than 75,000 jobs in an industry valued at US$7 billion annually, according to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

While humans needn鈥檛 worry about being attacked by one of these blood-suckers, Gaden says it鈥檚 important to recognize the damage they can inflict on ecosystems.

鈥淧eople need to know that the destructive invasive species did inflict incredible damage on the fishery. They're like a coiled spring and if you let go of all control they鈥檙e going to bounce back again,鈥 Gaden said.

Female sea lamprey can lay 50,000 to 100,000 eggs. When the eggs become larvae, they will eat anything that drifts into its path for three to four years until it grows into a mature jagged-tooth predator.

Luckily, Gaden says there have been methods developed to destroy this invasive species that has resulted in the decrease of 95 per cent of the lamprey population in the Great Lakes. The two most effective ways to fight off these parasites include building dams to block the species from spawning and using pesticides. Lampricides are chemical compounds dumped into the lake to directly attack the sea lamprey at their larvae stage.

In its 2017 budget, the Canadian government outlined to control sea lamprey and fund research to better understand them. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.