68 



6. 

 trout and development of trout and salmon fisheries derived from 

 stocking hatchery-reared fish. 



The destruction of lake trout stocks by sea lamprey was a 

 major impetus for the 1955 "Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries" 

 between the United States and Canada. This international agreement 

 created the Great Zjakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) and mandated that 

 it "... formulate and implement a comprehensive program for the 

 purposes of eradicating or minimizing . . . sea lamprey 

 populations..." 



The sea lamprey is rather unique among nonindigenous aquatic 

 nuisance species that have caused great ecological and econo»ic 

 damage in the Great Lakes . Its life cycle predisposes it to 

 effective control. Sea lamprey spawn only in certain tributaries 

 with very specific, high quality habitats. Larval sea lamprey live 

 in sediments within these tributaries for several years before they 

 transform into parasitic adults and migrate to the lakes. These 

 larvae, in the stream environments, are highly vulnerable to 

 treatment with a lanpricide known as TFM. 



The GLFC has developed effective technologies to interrupt the 

 life cycle of sea lamprey in tributaries. The application of these 

 technologies has markedly reduced sea lamprey populations in most 

 areas of the Great Lakes. New technologies offer the promise of 

 more effective control with less reliance on lampricides. Sea 



