Major Alewife Die-off on Lake Champlain
In what biologists believe is an event related to cold conditions on Lake Champlain, a major die-off of alewives was observed by anglers and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife this past week.
Alewives are a nonnative fish species that play a role similar to smelts in large lake systems. Biologists are concerned about the rate at which alewives have established themselves in the lake, and potential ecological consequences to the rest of the lake’s fish community.