Pedro Raposo de Almeida defends a ban on lamprey fishing due to scarcity.

Pedro Raposo de Almeida, director of Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) and a specialist in anadromous fish (species that, like the lamprey, reproduce in freshwater but develop to adulthood in the sea), advocates a ban on lamprey fishing due to its increasing scarcity in Portuguese rivers. A situation that has already led the municipality of Penacova to cancel the Lamprey Festival, which normally takes place in February. 

In recent years, drought and other unexplained situations have affected the species at sea, resulting in increased mortality. This scarcity is not exclusive to Portugal, as Spain and France are also facing similar problems. However, Portugal is the southern limit of the lamprey's distribution. Although river flows are not bad this year, all indications are that it could be the worst year on record for fish passing the Coimbra bridge dam on the River Mondego. While 20,000 specimens were recorded in 2014, only 1508 were recorded in 2023.

The researcher estimates that if we don't give the species the chance to reproduce, "in seven years' time [the lamprey's life cycle] it will be even worse". For MARE's Director, it is essential to reduce the mortality of lampreys by fishing as much as possible, in order to try to guarantee a recovery of their populations in Portuguese rivers.

Read the full interview in Público