Project
Evaluating the suitability of trammel nets as a supplemental sea lamprey control tactic in the Bad River
We propose to test the suitability of bottom-set trammel nets as a supplemental control tactic in the Bad River, a tributary of Lake Superior. Trammel nets may be well suited to deployment in large river environments, such as the Bad River, because 1) they theoretically can maintain high sea lamprey capture efficiency in large river environments by spanning the entire channel, 2) mortality and injury of captured fish is expected to be lower compared to fishes captured in gill nets, 3) deployment requires no permanent infrastructure, and 4) the gear could be easily removed during flood events to minimize damage and gear loss. This technical assistance proposal will provide a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of bottom set trammel nets for capturing migratory sea lamprey, quantify collateral damage from the deployments (damage to valued migratory fishes in the Bad River), and provide an opportunity to adapt a widely used lamprey fishing gear to the environmental, ecological, and cultural context of the Bad River.