September 8, 2000
TO: People interested in Great Lakes fisheries
FROM: Bill Horns, Great Lakes Fisheries Specialist
This is an update on some of the issues facing us on the Great Lakes. If you have questions or comments about the topics discussed here or any other issues related to Great Lakes fisheries, contact me by phone (608.266.8782), FAX (608.266.2244), or e-mail (william.horns@wisconsin.gov).
Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum. The Department has formed an advisory panel called the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum to "advise the Lake Michigan Fisheries Team, facilitate information exchange between the Department and interested groups and individuals, provide a forum for discussion of issues of concern, develop consensus among diverse interests on matters of common concern, and develop public advocacy for policies of general interest." That’s a mouthful. The Forum will have seventeen appointed members, seven selected by specific organizations and ten selected by the Department. The seven organizations that were asked to name representatives are the Great Lakes Study Committee of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, the Lake Michigan Commercial Fishing Board, the Federation of Great Lakes Sport Fishing Clubs, Wisconsin Commercial Fisheries, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fisheries Resources Office in Green Bay, UW-Sea Grant, and the UW-Milwaukee’s WATER Institute. In naming the ten additional forum members, we tried to involve all geographic areas and as many points of view as possible. The forum members appointed by the Department will serve staggered three-year terms, so we will be able to share the burden of membership and bring in new faces every year. Forum meetings will be open to the public. If you are interested in receiving notice of the time and place of Forum meetings, let me know.
Lake Superior Basin Brook Trout Management Plan. Our Lake Superior biologists will soon release a draft Lake Superior Basin Brook Trout Management Plan for public comment. This plan will draw on the recommendations of a special Brook Trout Task Force that met in Ashland during June. It emphasizes the importance of habitat restoration and protection, but also discusses protective regulations and stocking as management tools. Self-sustaining populations of stream-dwelling brook trout occupy parts of the upper reaches of most Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Superior. This plan is being developed in response to a public interest in restoring the larger, lake-dwelling form of brook trout referred to as the "coaster". We do not know if the coasters were a genetically distinct form, or if, as others believe, they were simply that portion of the abundant native brook trout population that occupied the lower reaches of tributaries and moved out into the open lake where they were able to grow rapidly in the hospitable nearshore lake environment. The answer to this question is important. If the answer is genetics, the best strategy may be to find and stock a suitable strain; if not, the best strategy may be to restore degraded habitat in the tributary streams. Please let me know if you are interested in seeing and commenting on a copy of the draft plan.
Michigan reaches agreement with tribes and U.S. The State of Michigan, the United States, and five tribes have agreed to a 20 year settlement concerning implementation of 1836 Treaty fishing rights in portions of Lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron (Wisconsin waters do not fall within the Treaty area and are not involved in the agreement). On Lake Michigan, significant elements of the settlement are 1) a renewed commitment by the parties to lake trout restoration and 2) a gear-conversion process under which the state will buy out a number of state-licensed commercial fishers and encourage the movement of tribal commercial fishing effort away from gill nets and into trap nets. Some tribal harvest of salmon will continue under the settlement. For more information, check the following Michigan DNR web site: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr.
Commercial Fishing Task Force. In 1998 the Department formed the Commercial Fishing Task Force to find a way to tighten up enforcement of commercial fishing laws. The Task Force included sport and commercial fishers, along with two legislators, a Sea Grant representative, Department staff, and others. Now, the Task Force’s final recommendations have been presented to the Natural Resources Board. The establishment of an electronic fish harvest reporting system is the cornerstone of the Task Force’s proposal, but it includes a number of other elements as well. Full implementation of the recommendations will require additional funding, as well as amendments to the Wisconsin Administrative Code and Wisconsin Statutes. I can provide you with a copy of the report.
Commercial chub fishing rule changes are proposed. The Natural Resources Board will be asked at its September 27 meeting to adopt changes to commercial chub fishing rules. Two years ago the Department expanded the area open to commercial chub fishing during the winter on a trial basis for the winters of 1999 and 2000 only. The experiment showed little, if any, additional incidental mortality of lake trout, and raised no objections, so we are now asking the NRB to make the changes permanent.
Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan update. It’s that time again. The document that guides the Lake Michigan fisheries program, the "Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan – 1995-2001" is nearing expiration, so we have initiated the process of developing a new plan. We will ask the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum to help us with this, and we welcome input from everyone. The first step for us will be the development of a written review of successes and failures under the old plan. We will also hold open public meetings to share that information and receive your comments. Written comments will also be welcome. I will try to keep you informed about the planning process through news memos like this one, and we will post information on our Lake Michigan web page http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/lakemich/index.htm. If you are unable to obtain the information you need electronically, let me know.
New Senior Fisheries Scientist. Dr. John Janssen has accepted the position of Senior Fisheries Scientist at the UW-Milwaukee’s WATER Institute. John will be the first scientist to occupy this new position, which is jointly funded by the University and the Department of Natural Resources. John comes to us from Loyola University where he has worked on Lake Michigan for many years. He has been involved with the multi-agency Yellow Perch Task Group since its formation and will continue to pursue research on yellow perch early life history. He will work closely with our Lake Michigan fisheries staff in developing and conducting research projects. John is also very interested in interacting with sport and commercial fishers, and others with interests in Lake Michigan fisheries.
Yellow perch still recovering in Lake Michigan. The moderate 1995 and 1998 year-classes of yellow perch have thrived under our protective regulations, and sport fishing has been good at times recently, but yellow perch are not back yet and Lake Michigan biologists believe it is too early to increase bag limits or re-open commercial harvests in southern Lake Michigan. Yellow perch grow faster in Lake Michigan when they are scarce than when they are abundant. We documented a reduction in growth rates during the 1980’s when yellow perch boomed, and recently, when the population declined, we saw growth rates surge. For example, this year yellow perch in their second summer average 8.9 inches in length, while fish of the same age in 1990 averaged 6.7 inches. The improved growth rates allowed the moderate 1998 year-class to became fishable early, and contributed to a false sense of optimism. We will continue to work with scientists and managers from other states in the Yellow Perch Task Group to monitor and assess the yellow perch population throughout the southern end of Lake Michigan using the best available methods. Recently the National Research Council formed a national committee of recognized experts to review the problem of fish stock assessment throughout the world. One of the findings of the committee was of special relevance to us:
During recoveries, overestimation of stock size will lead to overly optimistic assessments of how soon the fishery can be reopened or how much yield will be sustained in the future (e.g., northern cod stock in Canada from 1978 to 1985). Transient upturns in the indices of abundance may lead to false expectations of recovery when the political climate is favorable to relaxation of fishing restrictions (e.g., king crab from Kodiak, Alaska, in 1981).
We look forward to a time when yellow perch harvests can be increased, but we will heed these words of caution as we continue to monitor the situation.