Invasive mussels cleaned Great Lakes water; whitefish may vanish in 5 years

For centuries, lake whitefish has beem more than just a fish in the Great Lakes region of North America. It was a source of food, income and tradition for Indigenous communities. Towns along the lakes built their economies around the demand for this fish with some places becoming major fishing hubs.One such place was Sandusky, Ohio. A book published in 1888, Sandusky of To-Day, also described the town as the largest fresh water fish market in the world and called lake whitefish Sandusky’s pride.But more than a century later, the fish that once filled the waters of the Great Lakes has sharply declined. Scientists now warn that it could disappear from some parts of the region within the next five years.According to The Gaurdian, researchers say the main reason behind the decline is the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels.