Great Lakes Fishery Commission

What Great Lakes Fishery Commission does

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) is a binational intergovernmental agency established in 1955 under the Canadian/U.S. Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Its mandate is to coordinate fisheries research, control the invasive sea lamprey population across the Great Lakes basin, and facilitate cooperative fishery management among state, provincial, tribal, and federal agencies in both countries. The commission operates without commercial revenue, funded instead through appropriations from the Canadian and U.S. federal governments under the 1954 treaty that created it. Its primary operational deliverable is the Sea Lamprey Control Program, which integrates four control modalities — lampricides (TFM and Bayluscide), physical barriers (low-head, fixed-crest, and velocity), trapping (adult and juvenile), and emerging pheromone/alarm cue "push-pull" techniques — applied across roughly 200 tributaries and larval hot spots annually. The program has reduced sea lamprey populations by more than 90% from pre-control levels and cut parasitic fish kills from over 100 million pounds annually to under 10 million pounds.

GLFC's product surface extends beyond sea lamprey control into a portfolio of research and science-transfer programs. The Fishery Research Program and Sea Lamprey Research Program fund competitive peer-reviewed projects ranging from $30,000 to $100,000 per year (averaging $55,000, typically 3-4 years in duration), supplemented by pilot projects up to $20,000 and student travel awards up to $1,500. FishPass, a major infrastructure project under construction since 2024 on the Boardman-Ottaway River in Traverse City, Michigan, is a selective fish passage facility designed to block all fish while allowing automated sorting and passage of native species. Other programs include the Coregonine Restoration Initiative, the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS), the Science Transfer Program, and the Laurentian Journal (launched 2022). The commission also manages a recognition ecosystem including the Vernon Applegate Award, Jack Christie/Ken H. Loftus Award, and Besadny Award. Core strategic partners are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (primary control agents), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, Michigan State University and University of Guelph (via the Partnership in Ecosystem Research and Management), and the City of Traverse City and Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (for FishPass).

Name

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Legal name

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Website

https://glfc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is a binational U.S.-Canada intergovernmental agency that coordinates sea lamprey control, fisheries research, and cooperative fishery management across the Great Lakes basin for state, provincial, tribal, and federal agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Fisheries Management

NAICS

Fishing (1141), Finfish Fishing (114111), Animal Production and Aquaculture (112)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Assessments (EUAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Species-Specific Warmwater Fish Feed (Carp, Pangasius, Other Warmwater Species) (AFADADAK)

Keywords

• Fishery management services
• Sea lamprey control
• Invasive species management
• Fisheries research programs
• Aquatic ecosystem protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriations: The commission is funded through appropriations from the Canadian and U.S. federal governments as established by the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. Annual budget supports sea lamprey control, research programs, and administrative operations.
2. Competitive Research Funding: The commission funds external research projects through competitive peer-reviewed processes. Research funding ranges from $30,000 to $100,000 per year per project, averaging $55,000, with projects typically running 3-4 years.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission coordinates an integrated sea lamprey control program using lampricides, barriers, traps, and pheromone-based technologies, and facilitates cooperative fishery management across the Great Lakes basin. It funds competitive peer-reviewed fisheries and sea lamprey research programs, operates selective fish passage infrastructure (FishPass), maintains an acoustic telemetry observation network (GLATOS), and publishes scientific outputs to transfer science to managers.

Product overview

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission operates a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on sea lamprey control and fishery science. The core Sea Lamprey Control Program uses lampricides (TFM and Bayluscide), barriers, and traps to control invasive sea lampreys across the Great Lakes. Supporting this are the Fishery Research Program and Sea Lamprey Research Program, which fund competitive peer-reviewed research. The Science Transfer Program converts research findings into accessible tools for managers. Notable projects include FishPass (selective fish passage technology) and GLATOS (acoustic telemetry observation network). The commission also publishes the Laurentian Journal, State of the Lake Reports, and provides funding services for researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GLATOS: Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System - a bi-national network of researchers who collaboratively use acoustic telemetry to understand fish behavior in relation to Great Lakes ecology.

Products and services

• Sea Lamprey Control Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Sea lamprey populations reduced by more than 90% from pre-control abundance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Council of Lake CommitteescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Endorsed the coregonine restoration framework on May 1, 2018. Jointly develops Fish Community Objectives and coordinates lake-specific fishery management.
• University of Guelph - Department of Integrative BiologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001PERM expanded to University of Guelph in 2001 to support research capacity in Canada. Scientists contribute to sea lamprey research program.
• Michigan State University - Department of Fisheries and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Partnership in Ecosystem Research and Management (PERM) supports three faculty research scientists. Original agreement signed in 1997. Scientists work extensively on sea lamprey chemoreception, movement ecology, population dynamics, and assessment.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary control agent responsible for implementing sea lamprey control operations in U.S. waters. Delivers the integrated sea lamprey control program including lampricide applications, barrier maintenance, and trapping activities.
• Fisheries and Oceans CanadacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary control agent responsible for implementing sea lamprey control operations in Canadian waters. Partners in the binational sea lamprey control program delivery.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner agency in sea lamprey control program. Provides technical expertise and operational support for control activities.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides science and regulatory support to the commission. Hammond Bay Biological Station (HBBS) is a USGS field station jointly managed with the commission. USGS scientists conduct research and provide technical support for sea lamprey control.
• Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA bi-national network of researchers who collaboratively use acoustic telemetry to understand fish behavior in relation to Great Lakes ecology. Provides information useful to fish managers in decision making.
• Michigan Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FishPass project. Committed to no salmon or steelhead passage for 10 years following FishPass construction. Participates in identifying desirable species for passage.
• Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FishPass project. Supports bi-directional fish passage across man-made barriers of only fish species native to the Lake Huron, Michigan, and Superior basins.
• City of Traverse CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in FishPass project. Owns, operates, and maintains the dam and community park upon which FishPass resides. Local regulations must be considered in decision-making.
• State and Provincial Fisheries AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManage fisheries through the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries. Five lake committees coordinate management for Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario.
• Sea Lamprey Control BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission committee that identifies research priorities for sea lamprey control. Makes recommendations on award nominations including the Vern Applegate award.
• Board of Technical Experts (BOTE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads fishery research theme areas and conducts peer review of research proposals. Ensures high-quality competitive research program.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau of Reclamation: U.S. federal agency managing water resources and aquatic infrastructure in the western U.S. Operates fish passage and barrier infrastructure at a scale and complexity comparable to GLFC's barrier program.
• Great Lakes Commission: Binational U.S.-Canadian agency that promotes the integrated management and protection of the Great Lakes. Adjacent to GLFC in geography and mandate but focuses on water quality, not fisheries.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Operational partner for GLFC, providing technical expertise and infrastructure support for sea lamprey control. Operates a portfolio of dams and aquatic projects at much greater scale, with overlapping technical competencies.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries: U.S. federal agency managing marine fisheries and marine protected species. Overlaps with GLFC on fisheries science and invasive species management, but at a national/ocean scale rather than the Great Lakes basin.

Direct peers

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - Great Lakes Science Center: Core science partner via Hammond Bay Biological Station, jointly managed with GLFC. Provides research, monitoring, and assessment of Great Lakes fish populations — directly comparable capability and mission scope.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Primary implementation partner for GLFC's sea lamprey control program in U.S. waters. Delivers lampricide applications, barrier maintenance, and trapping activities. They share the same mandate scope and work in the same operational geographies.
• International Joint Commission: Binational organization established by the U.S.-Canada Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Similar binational governance structure to GLFC, though focused on boundary waters disputes rather than fisheries specifically.
• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact that manages shared coastal fishery resources among U.S. Atlantic states. Operates a similar interjurisdictional cooperative management model to GLFC, though for Atlantic rather than Great Lakes species.
• Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact facilitating coordinated fisheries management among U.S. Pacific states and tribes. Comparable in structure and cooperative-management approach to GLFC's binational body, but covers anadromous and Pacific species.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO): Canadian counterpart to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the primary implementation partner for sea lamprey control in Canadian waters. Conducts parallel activities under the same binational Convention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LampreyControl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-lakes-fishery-commission
• Facebookfacebook.com/LampreyControl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Fishery Commission