Thursday, March 28, 2024

Seventy Pacific Lamprey released into Wenatchee River as part of species restoration effort

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The Yakama Nation Fisheries and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) held a release event for Pacific Lamprey on April 17 at Jolanda, Lake near the Alps Candy Store.

During the event, officials from both organizations, along with students from Beaver Valley Elementary School, released 70 adult Pacific Lamprey into the lake where they would swim up or down the Wenatchee River.

The release event is a part of an effort of Yakama Nation Fisheries to restore and bolster the number of Pacific Lamprey in the area.

The USFWS lists Pacific Lamprey, an eel-like animal, as a “species of concern.” Tyler Beals, Fish Biologist I with the Yakama Nation Fisheries explained that Pacific lamprey had been absent upstream of Tumwater Dam in recent years. Through the translocation of adult Pacific Lamprey to the river upstream of the dam, larval lamprey can be found in the upper Wenatchee River and some of the tributaries. 

Reasons for the decline in the species’ numbers include poor water quality, lack of passage caused by dams and other manmade structures, and reduced flows.   

Before they released the Lamprey, students learned numerous facts about the species.

While holding a live Lamprey in front of a group of curious children, Dave’y Lumley, Lamprey Technician III, explained that Pacific Lamprey are more than 400 million years old. 

After 6-7 years, Lamprey will grow to its full size and develop a suction disc for a mouth. The species will migrate to the ocean for 2-3 years before returning to freshwater in order to breed. Fish biologist Barb Kelly-Ringel explained Lamprey will swim to areas with fast flows and many rocks. The species will move rocks and make a nest to lay their eggs. She added that female lamprey can lay up to 150,000 eggs during a spawning cycle.

When asked if the creature is parasitic, Lumley confirmed Lamprey use their suction disc to feed off blood and bodily fluids from salmon, whales and other species. She added that Lamprey do not hurt the species it feeds from and the cut from suction disc will heal.

While Lamprey feed on species, it provides a pivotal role to the eco system.  In its larval stage, Lamprey inhabit the bottom of rivers and feeds on organic debris, cleaning the water in the process. They also act as a shield for salmon against predators in and out of the water.

Children learned the culture significance of the species. Sean Goudy, Fish Tech III, explained the lamprey was a significant food source for native culture and traditions. Tribal fishermen would spend most of their day catching Lamprey using nets and their bare hands.

Goudy said tribal members considered the species a “super food” because it was rich in nutrients.

“Lamprey is a dense, nutritious snack, you could get full really fast on them,” Goudy added.

Goudy said fishing camps would catch an abundance of Lamprey during the day. However, the construction of dams inundated the fishing camps. The decline in Lamprey and the disappearance of these camps has resulted in younger generations losing out on the opportunity to learn their cultural ties to the species and fishing traditions.

After learning facts of the Lamprey, students were divided into two groups and released the fish. Each of the Lamprey released in the river was tagged and embedded with sensors in order to track their future movement.

Lumley explained the organization also holds outreach events to educate students and people about lamprey and how they affect the environment.

“We want to get to the point where we can release them with a high survival rate,” Lumley said. 

Pacific Lamprey, yakama nation fisheries, wildlife

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