Pedro Raposo de Almeida Live on RTP

MARE Director Pedro Raposo de Almeida has warned of the huge decline in lamprey populations in Portugal. In a live interview with RTP, the researcher explained the possible causes of this phenomenon and its main implications. 

Lampreys are a type of cyclostome fish (with a circular mouth and no jaw) that spend the first five years of their lives in fresh water, then move to the sea, only to return to the rivers two years later to spawn and complete their life cycle. Since 2014 there has been a continued decline in populations in Portugal, Spain and France, causing various environmental, social and economic constraints.

Dams, pollution and climate change are some of the causes pointed out by Pedro Raposo de Almeida. According to the researcher, ‘since the last century the animals have lost around 80 per cent of their distribution area’ and ‘with climate change the phase of the life cycle at sea has also changed and is causing excessive mortality’. With reproduction compromised due to the reduction in freshwater areas, and excessive mortality at sea, since 2014 there has been ‘a very sharp decline in the abundance of lamprey’. 

Com as construções de diques e açudes, que atrasam a migração das lampreias, são cada vez menos os animais que chegam efetivamente às águas do mar. As previsões para este ano de 2024 é que tenham entrado no mar apenas 8 mil animais, um valor dez vezes mais pequeno do que se verificava no passado. Segundo Pedro Raposo de Almeida as previsões é que “2025 possa ser um ano dito normal, seguido de uma sucessão de anos maus”, tendo em conta os números de larvas e a disponibilidade em termos de recrutamento por parte dos nossos rios. O diretor do MARE realça que “2025 é um ano essencial para podermos repovoarmos os nossos rios, embora o resultado dessa proteção só se observe passados sete, oito anos”. 

Part of the solution is to ban lamprey fishing. ‘If we were consistent with what is observed in scientific terms, we should close the fishery,’ explains Pedro Raposo de Almeida. ‘But we're also sensitive to what the sector's professional activities are.’ For the time being, the researcher is only in favour of reducing lamprey fishing in order to protect the species and the activities of the fishermen who depend on catching them. ‘Our concern is that if these figures reach Brussels, Brussels will advise through ISIS to close the fishery, and once it's closed we'll find it very difficult to reopen it because we don't have the numbers to do so.’

Despite meetings with various fishermen's associations, MARE's director noted that ‘people are not sensitive to this situation and don't want to reduce fishing’.  Pedro Raposo de Almeida argues that there should in fact be a reduction in the lamprey fishing season, a measure that wouldn't have a negative impact on fishermen ‘because catching fewer animals won't actually make them less money. In fact, by offering less, the market will increase the price’. Last year the price of lamprey reached 150 euros per animal.

Currently, the national outlook for this situation is not positive. By raising awareness, we hope to be able to sensitise the competent authorities and those who fish for lamprey to limit the fishing period and respect its life cycle.

To watch the interview click HERE