Sea Lamprey: Poison or Protect?

Authorities are conflicted regarding the sea lamprey. Some want them killed. Some want them protected.

A joint effort between U.S. and Canadian authorities is aimed to kill off sea lamprey in the St. Marys River linking the Superior and Huron lakes, even while others at Columbia River are worried about the potential extinction of the blood-sucking critters.

According to Soo Evening News, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada are collaborating to poison the sea lamprey larvae that live in the tributaries and threaten the salmon, trout, whitefish, and other commercial species.[…]

This is a drastically different tune compared to workers at the Bonneville Dam of the Columbia River, where $50 million is being spent to allow secure lamprey passage through the dam systems with fear of lamprey extinction.

Years ago, I saw some live sea lampreys caught in Lake Ontario. The slimy suckers had mouths as big as my fist. I had nightmares afterward.