VTFW urges anglers not to disturb spawning sea lampreys

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VTFW) is reminding anglers and the public to avoid disturbing spawning sea lamprey that may currently be found in the Connecticut River and several of its tributaries.

There is a separate population of sea lamprey that are actively controlled as a nuisance species in Lake Champlain. Confusion can arise over the differing management goals for these two populations of Vermont sea lamprey.

Each year sea lamprey spawn during the spring in the main stem of the Connecticut River as far upstream as Wilder Dam as well as in many of its tributaries, including the West, Williams, Black, and White Rivers.

Upon returning to freshwater to spawn, adult sea lamprey are non-parasitic and die shortly after spawning, and the carcasses play a critical role in cycling important marine nutrients into freshwater ecosystems.

In the Connecticut River, larval lamprey live in freshwater the first few years of life, remaining sedentary and burrowed in sandy substrate while filtering detritus from the water for nutrition. At around five years of age, lamprey transform into juveniles and emigrate to the ocean, attaching to and feeding on fish as parasites. In turn, lampreys are a food source in the estuarine and marine environment for a number of fish, marine mammals, and birds.

While existing for over 350 million years in the Atlantic, anadromous sea lamprey have co-evolved with oceanic hosts, and the populations are considered to be in balance.

The species is currently managed under the Connecticut River Migratory Fish Restoration Cooperative, which includes four state agencies, two federal agencies, and representatives of the public. Among other efforts, VTFW has been working to improve fish passage facilities within the Connecticut River drainage to enable native sea lamprey to successfully complete the migration to spawning habitat.

To learn more about VTFW various fisheries management programs go to www.vtfishandwildlife.com/.