Efforts to limit population of invasive vampire fish in Canadas Great Lakes underway [Video]

Action is finally being taken against an aggressive invasive species that has been surging across the Great Lakes in Ontario.

The spike in sea lampreys has triggered a joint campaign between Canada and the U.S. to protect the region’s $5.1-billion freshwater fishery.

Control crews began treatment in late April to decrease the population of this invasive species, which is known to parasitically feed on fish.

The work began in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and will likely continue till October. Some of the population control methods include lampricides (a chemical treatment), traps and barriers.

Sea lampreys, also known as vampire fish, were accidentally introduced through shipping canals into the Great Lakes in 1921. They use their mouths with 150 teeth and serrated tongues to attach to prey, killing up to 40 pounds of fish during their parasitic stage.

Before sea lamprey control, the species killed far more fish than humans did, causing considerable economic and ecological damage.