Fish and Habitat Research - Management & Regulation

Fisheries management is the act of conserving or enhancing a fishery as a natural resource. A fishery is not just a group of fish, but the interaction among various fish species, habitat, and anglers. As a result, the management of fisheries can be very challenging. Natural variation in ecological systems is often high, time scales can be long, and outcomes of best management practices sometimes are uncertain.

To manage a fishery, one must have good knowledge of the biology and ecology of the species being managed, as well as, understanding how fish interact with their habitat and environment. Thus, effective fisheries management requires an integrated approach including regulation, education, and restoration.

Various species-specific committees have developed working management goals for the major fisheries of the state. A consolidated list of the fisheries management goals for the state include:

1. To protect, restore, and enhance fisheries habitat on Wisconsin waters.
2. To protect, restore, and enhance Wisconsin´s self-sustained fisheries, fish assemblages, and aquatic communities.
3. To provide a variety of quality fishing opportunities within a flexible management system.
4. To ensure that resource managers have the necessary information on the status of Wisconsin´s fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.
5. To provide technical assistance and educational opportunities to Wisconsin´s citizens and anglers; to promote the value of Wisconsin´s fisheries and ensure angling opportunities for future generations.

The management goals listed on this page were taken from An Evaluation of Stocking Strategies in Wisconsin with an Analysis of Projected Stocking Needs written by the Bureau of Fisheries Management April 1999.

Science Services is currently engaged in the following projects relating to the management and regulation of Wisconsin´s freshwater fisheries:

• USGS Great Lakes Gap And WDNR Fish Mapping Application
• Northern Highland Fishery Area Monitoring
• Trout Hooking Mortality Research [PDF 145KB]
• Effects of a Minimum Length Limit and Daily Bag Limit on a Smallmouth Bass Fishery
• Catfish Populations Fisheries in the Lower Wisconsin River
• Evaluation of an Open Panfish and Closed Predator Fishery
• Walleye Stock Differentiation and Recruitment in the Lake Winnebago System
• Natural Muskellunge in Wisconsin: Factors Affecting Self-sustaining Populations
• Effects of Exploitation on Northern Walleye Populations
• Fishery and Aquatic Community Responses to Mechanical Harvesting of Aquatic Macrophytes