Alewives, like the one pictured above, were first discovered in
Lake Champlain in July, 2004. Columnist Howard Hammond believes
some lake users and politicians overreact to the presence of
non-native species. It seems the hot topic in the last few
months has been the invasion of non-native species of aquatic
plants and fish into Lake Champlain. To quote the Lake Champlain
Basin Program Guide for Aquatic Invasive Species: “The Lake
Champlain Basin is home to a number of invasive species that
cause economic and ecological harm to our ecosystem.” I have to
ask: what harm? Yes, it is costly to try and rid the eco- system
of a harmful species once it’s established but then what harm is
the species causing? Where is the peer reviewed research and
long term studies? Just to say non-native species are harmful or
will compete with the existing food chain without some
documentation doesn’t seem very scientific. Actually, it seems
very irresponsible. Eurasian Watermilfoil is the most commonly
named invasive plant specie