Vancouver lamprey (Lampetra macrostoma) recovery strategy: chapter 10


10. Anticipated Conflicts or Challenges

Vancouver lamprey are currently of little or no economic value, and this is unlikely to change.  By contrast there are other public, private and commercial interests in watersheds in which the species resides.  These interests include forestry, water extraction for industrial and residential use, roads, residential and recreational property development, and recreational fishing, boating, and swimming.  It is possible that mitigating threats to lampreys will conflict with development pressures.  Recovery of the species will therefore benefit from stewardship and specific research over the long-term.  It is important to understand that many of the threats to Vancouver lamprey can be reduced but not eliminated.

10.1 Potential Management Impacts for Other Species

Vancouver lamprey are parasitic and have the potential to affect the abundance of other fish species, including salmonids (Beamish 1982).  Thus, the introduction of this species into other watersheds is not recommended.  No goal of establishing this species in other watersheds has been put forward. 

It is unlikely that recovery efforts aimed at Vancouver lamprey will have a significant negative effect on other fish or wildlife species indigenous to Cowichan or Mesachie lakes and this could be monitored through the trends in abundance of prey species and parasitic scarring rates.  Numeric enhancement of the species is not being recommended, and protection of lamprey habitats will likely benefit other species too.

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