Traditional lamprey pie for the Queen has to come from Canada for first time in centuries Samuel Pepys mentioned them in his diaries and spoke of how they were a great favourite of "medieval epicures." The most prestigious source of the blood sucking fish, which date back to prehistoric times, was the River Severn in Gloucester and locally sourced varieties became greatly sort after. To this end the people of Gloucester started sending the reigning monarch a lamprey pie to mark special occasions. It died out as tastes changed during the industrial revolution but in 1952 Howard Sibson, who was then Gloucester's Sheriff, reintroduced the age-old local custom of sending a decorated lamprey pie to each newly-crowned monarch. Thanks to Mr Sibson, such a pie was prepared for the coronation of the present Queen in 1953. She received another for her Silver Jubilee, a third for the Golden Jubilee, and now another is being prepared. But now the once plentiful lamprey is an endangered species - and is protected by law. So the city was forced to import sea lamprey from the Great Lakes of Canada. Dr Marc Gaden of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission will visit Gloucester on May 4 to present lamprey to Gloucester City Council for the pie to be made. Steve Axford, the Environment Agency's principal fisheries scientist, said it was important "to protect them and conserve stocks." There are areas, such as the Severn Estuary, which have lamprey as a special designated feature, and hence are areas of conservation. The Severn is home to all three species of lamprey. We have a duty to protect them, and safeguard rivers. Ivan Day, a food historian and broadcaster, said: "They were a great delicacy in medieval times but with urbanisation and industrialisation we have lost touch with many of our culinary traditions. They are often compared to eel and because they are cooked in their own blood they have lost popularity, but I think they taste very nice especially if caught fresh. Xanthe Clay, The Daily Telegraph's food columnist, said it was a shame that they were not locally sourced but that being from the sea they would probably taste better. It is a truth universally acknowledged that sea fish tastes better than river fish which always has a muddy taste. I would think the Queen is likely to find them much nicer. Whether the Queen has ever sampled the pies she has been sent by Gloucester city council for earlier Jubilee celebrations is doubtful. A Buckingham Palace had yet to respond at time of publication. Unlike other fish, the lamprey has no scales, jaws, gill covers or bony skeleton. Fossil evidence has shown lampreys date from before dinosaurs.