09-25-2008, 11:40 PM
They have not yet found a solution in Michigan. It's hopeful that the fish populations will not completely collapse, but they have declined and are not likely to return to previous levels.
This is fairly typical with exotic species. Talk to anyone who fished the Gallatin in Montana prior to the introduction of whirling disease.
Some of my favorite places in Michigan have been seriously damaged due to zebra mussels. That doesn't stop me from getting out and fishing though. I just know I won't catch as many.
Certainly if everyone followed all of the protocols on bilge water, cleaning waders and float tubes, etc, the introduction could have been prevented. However, as has been pointed out, it's quite unlikely that everyone will follow all the protocols all the time.
Hopefully someone will come up with a solution. Back in the 60's and 70's the Great Lakes problem was the alewife (a baitfish that made it up the St. Lawrence seaway and Erie Canal). This prompted the introduction of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead to control the alewife population and a tremendous fishery was born. Perhaps someone will find something that eats zebra mussels.
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This is fairly typical with exotic species. Talk to anyone who fished the Gallatin in Montana prior to the introduction of whirling disease.
Some of my favorite places in Michigan have been seriously damaged due to zebra mussels. That doesn't stop me from getting out and fishing though. I just know I won't catch as many.
Certainly if everyone followed all of the protocols on bilge water, cleaning waders and float tubes, etc, the introduction could have been prevented. However, as has been pointed out, it's quite unlikely that everyone will follow all the protocols all the time.
Hopefully someone will come up with a solution. Back in the 60's and 70's the Great Lakes problem was the alewife (a baitfish that made it up the St. Lawrence seaway and Erie Canal). This prompted the introduction of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead to control the alewife population and a tremendous fishery was born. Perhaps someone will find something that eats zebra mussels.
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