THUNDER BAY — The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is looking to improve the efficiency – and the safety – of its sea lamprey monitoring program in the Neebing and McIntyre Rivers.
DFO is about to begin the installation of a permanent lamprey trap in the Neebing River near Edward Street.
Until now, over the years it's collected lampreys in that watercourse in two temporary portable traps best described as oversized minnow traps, placed in the water at the end of a dock.
Next week, work will start on a more stable permanent structure that will make it easier for Lakehead Region Conservation Authority staff to access the traps safely.
This year, for the first time, DFO contracted the LRCA to collect lamprey as part of the department's annual trapping program to derive a population estimate for the stream.
Biological information such as length, weight, sex and maturity level is also collected.
During the lamprey spawning season, which ended on June 28, about three dozen lamprey were caught in the Neebing, compared with 109 last year.
The number of lamprey trapped from year to year varies widely, with upwards of 700 being captured in the early 2000s and fewer than 10 in other years.
Understanding how many spawning-phase lamprey are emerging from Lake Superior each year helps the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, a joint Canada/US agency, decide whether and when to apply lampricide to keep the population down.
After the sea lamprey entered the Great Lakes in the 20th century, it devastated commercial fishing and sport fishing on Lake Superior.
In the past, DFO has also trapped lamprey in other area watercourses including the Wolf River and Nipigon River.
