Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Updated 2024-11-06 20:03:26

Lake Superior -> 10.0 Nuisance Species -> Nuisance Species Eliminations

10.1.3 Number of non-indigenous species populations reduced or eliminated

Establishment of a new non-indigenous aquatic species in Lake Superior could have enormous impacts on the ecosystem and cost millions of dollars to control. In addition to the high cost of control programs, these programs have often been ineffective for species that have become widely distributed and established in the ecosystem. Management agencies are often limited by a lack of technology for controlling aquatic nuisance species once they become established. New and creative methods that target species during specific stages of their life history when they are most vulnerable must be pursued in the future. With the exception of the sea lamprey control program, no other widespread efforts were made to eliminate or reduce populations of non-indigenous aquatic species within the Lake Superior basin during the 2017-2021 reporting period.