Lamprey eel

[LiveWell]

I was told recently by a bait shop that eel is now an endangered species,and not legal for use as bait. Is this true??

[Haftafish]

Fishermans marine sells it in jars and I was told the reason we can't get it much is due to the demand from the San Francisco area. It seems they have a crab that eats all baits but eel when fishing sturgeon so it all goes there. If thats true then it just happened. :shocked:

[LiveWell]

I got this from GI Joes in Salem...about a month ago..

[GutshotApe]

Lamprey eels are much less plentiful in Oregon than they were 10 to 20 years ago. The coastal rivers have very few eels anymore and the big run in the Willamette is also down significantly. I think ODFW reduced the commercial eel catch at Willamette falls, most of which was used for bait, altho the Indians ate some and some were used for scientific & educational purposes.

There is now an exotic crab in SF Bay called the Chinese mitten crab which is taking over and having serious ecological effects in the bay area. Don't know if they like eels or not.

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

July 12, 2002

The Commission voted Friday to add six lamprey species to Oregon's protected species list. The protected species list prohibits the harvest and possession of identified species without a permit from the Commission.
The following species were added: parasitic and nonparasitic forms of Goose Lake lamprey, river lamprey, western brook lamprey, Miller Lake lamprey, Klamath lamprey, Pit-Klamath brook lamprey, and Klamath Basin lamprey.

April 12, 2002

Lamprey Harvest at Willamette Falls Authorized

Acknowledging the limited data on Pacific lamprey populations at Willamette Falls, the Commission adopted a reduced 2002 season that allows only the personal use of the harvested lamprey.
Harvest will be allowed on the east side of Willamette Falls during daylight hours on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from June 1 through July 31, 2002. Gear is restricted to hand or hand-powered tools. Harvesters must obtain a permit from the Clackamas office of ODFW and must report their catch.
The Commission also delegated permitting authority to federally-recognized Indian tribes for personal harvest of lampreys. A tribal enrollment card allows a tribal member to harvest lamprey, under the same season and harvest requirements established for non-tribal members.
The conservative season departs from historic seasons where annual commercial landings totaled on average more than 28,000 pounds. In 2001, commercial harvest totaled 12,300 pounds. Reported personal landings totaled 218 pounds in 2001.
Lamprey are used for food, biological study and sturgeon bait.

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[ 01-12-2003, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: *** Clerk ]

Miller Lake lamprey were poisoned in the early 1900's and thought to be extinct, some were missed and they are slowly comming back. Klamath lamprey and Klamath Basin lamprey have been around but never in large numbers. We occasionaly catch trout out of Klamath Lake that have lamprey scars on them.
Herbicides kill the imature eels in the streams.

Look who's on the top of the list!!!!
Pacific Lamprey

[STGRule]

Minor point: They are not eels. They are of the Petromyzon genus. Eels are of the Anguilla genus. They look eel-like but are not. Eels have bony jaws and lamprey have no jaws.

STG,
Always there with some smart az answer (like facts) :smile: Thank you.

Did you ever find anything on Klamath Lake sturgeon?

[ 01-12-2003, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[STGRule]

No sir, I did not. I have some other obscure places to look. I haven't given up. Just some time constraints.

[XSive]

We used to catch "eels" in summertime weather along the creeks at night. They look like eels. In swift water, sturgeon love it... and it's the only thing that stays on a hook. Last year they looked plentyfull, maybe not a real eel?????

[Snakebite]

Pacific lamprey have a similar life history as do the pacific salmon. So, due to freshwater habitat destruction and the ocean conditions of the last 20 years or so, it stands to reason that they would have the tendancy to decline as well. It will be interesting to see if the lampreys bounce back like the salmon appear to be doing. This makes me wonder if lamprey are dependant on salmon (I've seen lamprey scars on hake). If so, it would follow that their rebound is eminant. Let's hope so.

[Straydog]

I have been asking about the demise of the Rogue lamprey's for a few years and no one seems to have an answer.

They were thick in years past but only a few seen these days.

It is my belief that the demise of the Lamprey may correspond to the placement of dams and other habitat issues on the Rogue.

These critters were part of the mix for Salmon survival and should be being looked at in my opinion.