Lamprey Conservation

River Lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) transformers from the River Slaney this week. These juveniles have spent several years burrowed in silt beds and are now metamorphosing into young adults. Once fully transformed, they will migrate downstream to the estuary, where they will spend up to two years before returning to freshwater to spawn. River Lampreys are listed under Annex II and V of the EU Habitats Directive and are a Qualifying Interest of the Slaney River Valley SAC.

Juvenile European eel (top) and River/Brook Lamprey from one of our electrofishing surveys. Lampreys are often considered similar to , but in reality, eels are more closely related to salmon. Lampreys appeared several hundred million years ago, well before the dinosaurs, while eels are a much newer and more evolved species, arriving just a few million years ago. Lampreys have remained primitive, lacking jaws, scales, bones, and paired or rayed fins.

Remains of a Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) found yesterday below the Mill weir on the River Fergus in Ennis, Co. Clare. This lamprey perished without spawning. The fish pass on this weir was installed as 'mitigation' for lampreys following a damaging flood scheme, but they cannot use this pass. The eutrophication on the river yesterday is also a serious cause for concern. I have not seen any lampreys spawning here so far this year. This is the Lower River Shannon SAC.

Endangered wildlife in Gironde: “Losing a species like the lamprey, which knew the dinosaurs, is not admissible”

Faune en danger en Gironde : « Perdre une espèce comme la lamproie, qui a connu les dinosaures, n’est pas admissible » En une dizaine d’années, le stock de populations de lamproies, comptabilisé sur le bassin Garonne-Dordogne s’est effondré. Les biologistes se laissent quelques années pour la sauver

Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric Station last week when ESB was abstracting 97.2% of the flow in the Lower River Shannon SAC. Lampreys are currently migrating and follow the water upstream along a 2.4 km tailrace to this dam. They get trapped here as there are no fish passes for them, and many perish without ever spawning. This is a largely hidden problem, and ESB never mentions lampreys - apart from the misinformation about Annacotty Weir they included in their last annual report (see previous post). There are many immediate measures that ESB could take to help lampreys - for example, reducing the water abstraction at the key times when lampreys are migrating. ESB operations have a major impact on biodiversity but they are not even mentioned in the latest 'Biodiversity Action Plan'.

The ESB has never mentioned lampreys in their annual 'fisheries' reports. However, presumably in response to my campaign to remove Annacotty weir, they included this in their most recent one for the year ending December 2022. They claim it shows a Sea Lamprey 'climbing the weir above Annacotty' - which is actually an IFI fish counter crump weir. But Sea Lampreys can't climb or jump - this is a biological fact. The photo depicts a lamprey suctioning onto the top of a weir (not Annacotty weir) to hold position. Some lampreys do get past these weirs during very low and very high river flows - I have never claimed that 100% of lampreys are blocked. Indeed, I have reported finding Sea Lamprey ammocoetes upstream of both weirs. However, the numbers of lampreys that pass these weirs are very low, and there is a major fish passage problem here. The photo of the lamprey gripping the weir was almost certainly provided by IFI to the ESB. This is a rare observation and and no date is given. To me, this is an example of the cynicism of these two organisations. This is also misinformation as this photo is presented in the ESB report, with no explanation or supporting text, suggesting misleadingly that lampreys can easily pass these weirs. My campaign to remove Annacotty weir attracted over 10,000 signatures https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/remove-annacotty-weir-on-the-river-mulkear-co-limerick

300 Million Year Old Fish: Chasing Scales Species Hunt (EPISODE 10) I head the river dee in wales to try and find one of the weirdest and oldest fish in Britain, the sea lamprey.Donate to the channel here: https://www.buymeac...

My year in photos: Sea Lampreys spawning in the Lower River Shannon SAC, June 2023.

My year in photos: Brook lampreys (Lampetra planeri) spawning at a site in the Lower River Shannon catchment, April 2023.

Elusive lamprey fish found in new locations Five previously unknown locations used by an elusive and threatened taonga species have been identified in Otago.

My June picture for the calendar is the Sea Lamprey, a primordial fish found in many UK rivers in June.

Visit my website or DM for get a copy!

Any guesses on the name of this living fossil?

After hiding under the substrate at a fish research center for nearly 7 years as larvae, Pacific lamprey EMERGED as juveniles with eyes and a suction disk mouth!

These fish, which are of Tribal and ecological importance, are now ready for their journey out to sea!

The Abernathy Fish Technology Center in Washington worked in collaboration with the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Chelan County Public Utility District to conduct this research to further understand and conserve Pacific lamprey.

This is a rare accomplishment to have Pacific lamprey reared and transformed in a captive setting.

USFWS photo: Amanda Sheehy

Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) on the Lower River Shannon near Castleconnell, Co Limerick, yesterday evening. Their spawning season is still ongoing.