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Sea Lamprey March 19, 2001 WPTZ NEWS CHANNEL 5
The Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) to continue sea lamprey control on Lake Champlain is now available for public comment. The DSEIS was prepared by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the VT Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. How to Comment Copies of the DSEIS can be obtained from the USFWS Lake Champlain Office by calling 802/872-0629. Two public hearings will be held for public comment: March 28, 2001 - 7:00pm-9:00pm Willsboro Central School Cafeteria 2 School St Willsboro, NY 12996 April 4, 2001 - 7:00pm-9:00pm South Burlington High School 550 Dorset St. S. Burlington, VT 05403 If you cannot attend a public hearing, written comments may be mailed, faxed or emailed by April 30, 2001 to: Mr. Dave Tilton, Project Leader USFWS Lake Champlain Office 11 Lincoln St. Essex Jct, VT 05452 Phone: 802/872-0629 Fax: 802/872-9704 Email:dave_tilton@fws.gov All comments received will become part of the administrative record and be made available to the public. What Are Sea Lamprey? 
Sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, are parasitic fish that are believed to have entered Lake Champlain via the Champlain Canal. Adult sea lamprey spawn in several of the Lake's tributaries, leaving nonparasitic larvae (ammocoetes) to remain in stream sediments for several years until they transform into the adult form, at which point they migrate to the Lake to prey on fish. Attacks by adult sea lamprey on landlocked Atlantic salmon, lake trout and other fish species have limited the full development of a Lake Champlain fishery, and restricted recreational and associated economic opportunities.
About the Control Program An eight-year experimental control program to reduce sea lamprey was completed in 1998. It was a combined effort by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Lake Champlain Ecosystem Team. Control strategies included the use of the lampricides 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) in 13 streams and Bayer 73 on five tributary deltas, as well as barrier dams (see side column). Research suggests that the control effort was quite successful. For example, since the control program began, sea lamprey nest counts have shown a downward trend and total lake trout and salmon catch has increased. More About Sea Lamprey Sea Lamprey Factsheet - Wisconsin Sea Grant Sea Lamprey Recipes (No Kidding!) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation US Fish and Wildlife Service Lake Champlain Ecosystem Team
Kid's Place | Lake Champlain Basin Atlas | Local Partners & Grants Opportunities for Action | Water Quality | Living Natural Resources Recreation & Culture | Publications & Reports | Links Lake Champlain Basin Program PO Box 204 54 West Shore Road Grand Isle, Vermont 05458 To Contact LCBP: lcbp@lcbp.org Telephone: (802) 372-3213 or 1-800-468-LCBP http://www.lcbp.org Send questions or comments on this web site to Nicole L. Ballinger at the LCBP. Last Updated: March 19, 2001 Web site design by Nicole L. Ballinger (LCBP). |