12-02-2005, 01:15 AM
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#003366]States Agree to Salmon Stocking Reductions[/#003366][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#003366]Contact: [/#003366][/font] [font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black]Jim Dexter 269-685-6851[/black][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#003366]Agency:[/#003366][/font] [font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black]Natural Resources[/black][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black]November 14, 2005
State fisheries management agencies for Lake Michigan have agreed to implement a 25 percent stocking reduction of Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan beginning with reduced stockings in 2006, according to Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries officials. Next spring, 3.2 million Chinook salmon fingerlings will be stocked by Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, a reduction of just over 1 million fish from 2005.
The Chippewa-Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) is also a partner management agency but does not stock any salmon. CORA does not object to the stocking reductions proposed by the state agencies, but has voiced concerns that such reductions may allow abundance of alewife to increase, potentially impeding rehabilitation of lake trout and other native species.
"This action has strong support of the angling community, which recognized the need to be pro-active in order to meet most of our objectives," said DNR Lake Michigan Basin Coordinator James Dexter, who represents Michigan on and chairs the Lake Michigan Committee. "By reducing predator abundance to better balance the fish community, especially available prey, the agencies anticipate better results for ecosystem management, including rehabilitation of native species."
The agencies provided several opportunities for public input throughout the year beginning with a full scientific review of lake-wide data at a spring conference in Benton Harbor. Other opportunities for public involvement were provided by agency-held meetings, print, radio and web-based media, with a final conference on Sept. 24 in Kenosha, Wis. Throughout the public review process, several key concerns by anglers were brought forward.
Anglers suggested increasing the bag limit for Chinook salmon as a way to reduce the number of predators in the lake and possibly allow for a smaller reduction in stocking. Managers, however, pointed out that bag limits for this type of fishery are relatively ineffective at having an impact on the population. Most fisheries biologists do not believe higher bag limits would substantially reduce predation on alewives, so it was not embraced as an alternative to reduced stocking, Dexter said. Bag limits differ among states, and, in contrast to stocking levels, have not usually been considered subject to inter-state negotiations.
Other anglers' concerns included where stocking reductions would actually occur, noting that certain areas in the basin have good natural reproduction of Chinook salmon. Anglers also placed a high premium on maintaining diverse fisheries, including fall fisheries when salmon return to sites where they were stocked. Agencies will be considering these concerns as they develop site-specific reduction targets. Many anglers also called for increased stocking efforts of other salmon and trout species that do not impact alewife populations nearly to the same extent as Chinook salmon. Dexter commented that while this is a reasonable request, agencies are limited in their ability to rear additional coho, brown trout or steelhead. These other species have much longer rearing cycles in a hatchery compared to Chinook salmon, and thus the agencies' abilities to produce additional fish are constrained by hatchery capacity issues.
In general, the public agreed with a 25 percent lake-wide reduction in stocking of Chinook salmon and the agencies are now taking this strategic stocking direction to the implementation phase, Dexter said. This will involve development by each state of specific tactics for meeting the stocking reduction goal and achieving desired objectives. In order to meet the 25 percent lake-wide reduction, the agencies have agreed to jurisdictional reductions in the amount of 30 percent for Michigan, 21 percent for Wisconsin, 17 percent for Illinois and 12 percent for Indiana. Michigan is taking a larger portion of the lake-wide cut because its rivers provide the bulk of the naturally produced salmon found in Lake Michigan. It is expected that all agencies will have tactical plans in place by early winter, Dexter added.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources
for current and future generations.
Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Outdoors[/black][/font]
[signature]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#003366]Contact: [/#003366][/font] [font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black]Jim Dexter 269-685-6851[/black][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#003366]Agency:[/#003366][/font] [font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black]Natural Resources[/black][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black]November 14, 2005
State fisheries management agencies for Lake Michigan have agreed to implement a 25 percent stocking reduction of Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan beginning with reduced stockings in 2006, according to Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries officials. Next spring, 3.2 million Chinook salmon fingerlings will be stocked by Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, a reduction of just over 1 million fish from 2005.
The Chippewa-Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) is also a partner management agency but does not stock any salmon. CORA does not object to the stocking reductions proposed by the state agencies, but has voiced concerns that such reductions may allow abundance of alewife to increase, potentially impeding rehabilitation of lake trout and other native species.
"This action has strong support of the angling community, which recognized the need to be pro-active in order to meet most of our objectives," said DNR Lake Michigan Basin Coordinator James Dexter, who represents Michigan on and chairs the Lake Michigan Committee. "By reducing predator abundance to better balance the fish community, especially available prey, the agencies anticipate better results for ecosystem management, including rehabilitation of native species."
The agencies provided several opportunities for public input throughout the year beginning with a full scientific review of lake-wide data at a spring conference in Benton Harbor. Other opportunities for public involvement were provided by agency-held meetings, print, radio and web-based media, with a final conference on Sept. 24 in Kenosha, Wis. Throughout the public review process, several key concerns by anglers were brought forward.
Anglers suggested increasing the bag limit for Chinook salmon as a way to reduce the number of predators in the lake and possibly allow for a smaller reduction in stocking. Managers, however, pointed out that bag limits for this type of fishery are relatively ineffective at having an impact on the population. Most fisheries biologists do not believe higher bag limits would substantially reduce predation on alewives, so it was not embraced as an alternative to reduced stocking, Dexter said. Bag limits differ among states, and, in contrast to stocking levels, have not usually been considered subject to inter-state negotiations.
Other anglers' concerns included where stocking reductions would actually occur, noting that certain areas in the basin have good natural reproduction of Chinook salmon. Anglers also placed a high premium on maintaining diverse fisheries, including fall fisheries when salmon return to sites where they were stocked. Agencies will be considering these concerns as they develop site-specific reduction targets. Many anglers also called for increased stocking efforts of other salmon and trout species that do not impact alewife populations nearly to the same extent as Chinook salmon. Dexter commented that while this is a reasonable request, agencies are limited in their ability to rear additional coho, brown trout or steelhead. These other species have much longer rearing cycles in a hatchery compared to Chinook salmon, and thus the agencies' abilities to produce additional fish are constrained by hatchery capacity issues.
In general, the public agreed with a 25 percent lake-wide reduction in stocking of Chinook salmon and the agencies are now taking this strategic stocking direction to the implementation phase, Dexter said. This will involve development by each state of specific tactics for meeting the stocking reduction goal and achieving desired objectives. In order to meet the 25 percent lake-wide reduction, the agencies have agreed to jurisdictional reductions in the amount of 30 percent for Michigan, 21 percent for Wisconsin, 17 percent for Illinois and 12 percent for Indiana. Michigan is taking a larger portion of the lake-wide cut because its rivers provide the bulk of the naturally produced salmon found in Lake Michigan. It is expected that all agencies will have tactical plans in place by early winter, Dexter added.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources
for current and future generations.
Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Outdoors[/black][/font]
[signature]