Enhance and Restore Outstanding Fisheries

Goals, Issue Area -2007-09

• Fisheries management field activities involving heavy equipment, shops and tools, boats and other on-water based equipment, electroshocking, chemicals, and similar introduce safety risks for employees. A safety first culture must be established and nurtured to avoid injuries or risks to employees.
• While most Wisconsin waters do not need fish stocking to provide outstanding fishing because they have adequate natural reproduction, approximately 10 percent of lakes and streams including Lakes Michigan and Superior will have better fishing for some species if stocked. To accomplish this DNR effectively stocks all waters that need stocking as determined by scientific assessments.
• Ensure that the joint sport and tribal fishery in Wisconsin’s ceded territory is managed at a sustainable harvest level and within the constraints of the federal court decision.
• Effectively utilize available Trout Stamp funding to restore and improve an optimal amount of inland trout stream habitat each year. Provide additional Fish and Wildlife Account funding such that total investments in inland trout management programs (including inland stocking) are commensurate with the number of inland trout anglers and trout harvest (currently about 12 percent of total anglers and catch).
• Maintain current sport and commercial fishery levels on the Great Lakes.
• All stocking quota, fishing regulation, habitat restoration or improvement or environmental permit recommendations are based on quantitative management objectives, adequate monitoring or assessment information, and accepted scientific principles, and have adequate public input.
• Fisheries managers have adequate information to set attainable management objectives, evaluate attainment of those objectives, and make recommendations on required fishing regulations, stocking quotas, and habitat restoration and improvements on each managed water.
• The amount of high quality anadromous fish spawning and nursery habitat in Great Lakes tributaries increases through water quality or water quantity management projects.