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Great Lakes Salmon Initiative
43 mins ·
It has been a while since we posted but that goes along with a busy charter season, rec angling is rocking and people are busy. Now that the season is winding down everyone needs to keep their eye on the ball. Following a great season out of Michigan waters of Lake Michigan due to water conditions because of predominant winds out of the west last fall and all winter we finally had the water stack up on our side of the lake, Wisconsin as a whole has suffered. Bait is up and predator populations are down and by and large fishing has been fantastic but spotty up and down the lake----mostly up north and the Upper Peninsula.
I want to bring to your attention a very, very important situation. Due to past Tribal Consent Decree Negotiations, there is "Limited" Salmon, both Chinook and Coho Tribal Gill Net Harvest allowed in lake Michigan and Huron. Recently Bay Port Fish Company advertised fresh Chinook fillets for sale. I inquired where these fish were harvested and they said Lake Michigan. If you fish Lake Michigan or Lake Huron for Salmon or Trout you should be boycotting fish markets and stores that sell Great Lakes Salmon. These fish are stocked on the backs of angler license fees. Now keep in mind that the GLSI does not begrudge anyone making a legal dollar, including the tribal interests! But following 4yrs of tough Michigan Salmon fishing, cuts in salmon, increased Lake trout plants despite reports from the USGS and MDNR that bait fish numbers are down, unbalanced fish stocking numbers. We find it irreprehensible that legal sale of fish that are NOT native species for commercial sale!!!
Here are some numbers for 2016---please keep in mind that Lake Huron does not have alewives and they plant nearly 2X the Chinook there than they do in Lake Michigan.
The Total Charter harvest in 2016 for Lake Mi waters was 21,793 Chinook. This includes legal 10" fish that weigh ounces to full grown adults. The total reported harvest for Tribal Gill Net Harvest was L. Mich 3060lbs and L Huron 125,946lbs for a total of 129,014lbs of Chinook Salmon for Subsistence use and sales. Does everyone remember the dismal year last year salmon fishing??? Does everyone remember the boats going up for sale and businesses going out of business or laying people off because they couldn't afford to pay them?
Keep your eye on the ball, we need to keep up the defensible position that we need increased salmon stocking numbers next year and nothing short of previous stocking numbers is acceptable!! Ask in stores where you see salmon sold where those fish came from and tell those stores you won't shop there any more and tell your friends. Even boycott the Casinos---the 2020 Consent decree Negotiations are closing in.
Did you know that the tribes have a GAG ORDER issued for the Consent decree negotiations. We as tax payers, fishing license holders have no say or ability to hear what is being discussed?