Ecological and Cultural Importance of a Species at Risk of Extinction, Pacific Lamprey, 1964-2002 Technical Report.
The cultural and ecological values of Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) have not been understood by Euro-Americans and thus their great decline has almost gone unnoticed except by Native Americans, who elevated the issue and initiated research to restore its populations, at least in the Columbia Basin. They regard Pacific lamprey as a highly valued resource and as a result ksuyas (lamprey) has become one of their cultural icons. Ksuyas are harvested to this day as a subsistence food by various tribes along the Pacific coast and are highly regarded for their cultural value. Interestingly, our review suggests that the Pacific lamprey plays an important role in the food web, may have acted as a buffer for salmon from predators, and may have been an important source of marine nutrients to oligotrophic watersheds. This is very different from the Euro-American perception that lampreys are pests. We suggest that cultural biases affected management policies.
- Research Organization:
- Umatilla Confederated Tribes (CTUIR)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
- DOE Contract Number:
- 00005455
- OSTI ID:
- 818645
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-00005455-4; R&D Project: 199402600; TRN: US200322%%220
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Jul 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Status Report of the Pacific Lamprey (Lampetra Trzdentata) in the Columbia River Basin.
Pacific Lamprey Research and Restoration Project : Annual Report 2000.