Great Lakes Salmon Initiative
21 mins ·
Great news people! Jay Wesley MDNR L. Michigan Basin Coordinator has just about completed the stocking/planting numbers and locations for Michigan waters of L. Michigan. A blast from the past pic, original board of the GLSI just previously to meeting with the MDNR in Sept 2016. We have come a long way in our working relationship with the public and the MDNR, building trust and understanding between parties to improve the future and outlook of our fishery in L. Michigan and we are working to do the same in L. Huron. In todays world of dealing with an invasive species melting pot and questions of how/why this changes the dynamics of the food web and the balance of predator prey, we brought to light the importance of also concentrating on the social and economic impacts of our fisheries--our Great Lakes are not a fish bowl to look at but not touch! Also the lakes are not to be used by the USFWS as a Native Fisheries rehabilitation restoration experiment and crush the economic impacts on the states surrounding these waters.
The GLSI has an idea of what is going to be planted and where but not the whole picture and are not at liberty to discuss everything at this point. Jay has several more meetings with CORA, LMC and others before presenting to the public. He may present at the Ludington Workshop so this is another reason to attend!! Listening to the GLSI and the public and implementing zonal management strategies he is allowing us to show you what the results from polls at these meetings are. The stocking options can be found on the DNR web site under the salmon section.
Browns 43% Option 5
Coho 57% option 5
Chinook 69% Option 4
L. trout 81% Option 4
In a nut shell it looks like cuts to Browns and L. Trout, a little movement in Coho from Platte to a couple of other ports, and through equivalency ratios an increase in King plants.
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/rMxWBndtd2dr5DiKDT6M/full
This is an extremely important link that everyone should/needs to take the time to read. Changes in Movements of Chinook Salmon between Lakes Mich. and Huron after the collapse of alewives in L. Huron. It brings to question most of what the public has been told in the past and how the Lake Huron salmon program has and IS currently being managed. After reading this keep in mind that Huron salmon are coming to Lake Mich. eating bait there but not contributing to the overall fishery---we don't get a crack at them around the lake. L. Huron does not have alewives but L. Mich has sustained cuts to the salmon program because of the decrease in alewives and L. Huron has not?? We have been told we have to manage L. Mich. scientifically but L. Huron is not! We have been told that due to Natal Chinook production that we have to cut salmon in L. Mich because of too many naturals but no one talks about the natural reproduction in Lake Huron as mentioned in this PDF contributing to the consumption of bait. Lake Huron management is in the dark ages! Where is the salmon management plan, overall lake wide strategic management plan, zonal management, bait assessment data to support the chinook planted there---instead of contributing to a potential crash in Lake Michigan also--remember that in 1999 16% of chinook in Huron moved to L. Mich but in 2000 58% moved and now as high as 85 to 90% move to L. Mich because there are NO alewives found in trawls. Lake Huron plants over twice as many Chinook as L. Michigan received this year--WHY?
The GLSI would like to thank Jay Wesley for the work and effort he has done to ensure the future of our Salmon fishery in Lake Michigan. He has listened to the GLSI and its membership and the public and has tried to balance things out. Not everyone will be happy but try to remember this is a new beginning to a new future and the GLSI will continue to work for further improvements and better angler access to salmonids. Let us hope L Huron steps up and makes some scientifically sound decisions ASAP?
