The Lost Fish: a Lamprey Literacy Kit

Pacific Lamprey remain a little known and often misunderstood fish in modern Northwest culture. Their cryptic nature and reduced populations have lead to their virtual disappearance from many Northwest river basins. Among those who are aware of lamprey, many still assume that they play some negative role in ecosystems and fisheries, and make an erroneous association with Sea Lamprey invasion in the Great Lakes. Of course, Pacific Lamprey are one of the region's most ancient fishes, and they have been highly valued by many Northwest American Indian Tribes for centuries. In partnership with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, we captured deliberate imagery and stories to help illustrate and interpret the nature and value of Pacific Lamprey. I will present a publicly available image set, and excerpts from three educational videos, including a feature film, The Lost Fish, designed to raise awareness of this culturally and ecologically important fish.