TOPIC:

Great Lakes Salmon Initiative 12/7/18

Senator Casperson House Bill 1145 to change the law to allow the commercial harvest of lake trout on Lakes Michigan and Superior has sparked a tremendous amount of conversation and dialogue; in fact it has gone viral on other facebook sites and forums also.

Why has the GLSI chosen to support this Bill?

Number 1, from the beginning of the organization in efforts to save the salmon industry the GLSI supported the idea of commercial harvest of Lakers in order to reduce the amount of Lakers impacting the prey base and improve the balance and equilibrium of predator prey ratios. We have to continue to stand by our original convictions that members supported.

Lake Trout ARE CURRENTLY a legally commercially harvested and gill net harvested species by tribal netters for sustenance and sales. This bill would give access to state commercial anglers, currently non access could be viewed as discrimination.

The commercial fishery on the Great Lakes is a historic icon and need. In fact the first licenses to fish the Great Lakes were issued to the commercial angler. Anyone ever eaten Perch or Whitefish in a restaurant?

They are a legal and recognized user of the fisheries resource.

Forces the state to follow through and update the commercial fisheries statutes, rules and regulations which have not been updated since 1968. Allowing the state to go to decree negotiations from a position of strength!!!

Reduce the unwanted waste by utilizing bycatch harvest of lakers that would die while harvesting whitefish up to 100lbs.

Forces from a position of strength states position in the 2020 consent decree.

Fighting against the rights of a legal user of our fisheries by the recreational, sport and charter industry is actually reducing our ability to fight for our rights, taking away our power. Power is in numbers!! What if we need to have the commercial fishery in our corner---c'mon man.

Commercial harvest of trout was outlawed because of over harvest and predation by invasive lamprey. Since then through restoration and rehabilitation efforts lake trout population efforts have achieved or exceeded goals except in northern areas of Lake Michigan. Why not allow fair and un-discriminatory access to state commercial fishers.

Anglers have fought for increased Chinook and reduced Lake Trout.

Charter vessels have to target trout along with the recreational angler, we didn't ask for this and had them shoved down our throats. We have asked for more salmon and less trout but tribes refuse---where is the real dialogue.

Fear mongering that once the commercial angler has access to trout they are going to want walleye. Reasonable?

Fear that it takes the power from the mdnr. Total misnomer! Would give more power to the mdnr to scientifically manage the resource.

Put more tools in the toolbox for scientific management and a position of strength in decree negotiations.

Quota system that was established in the 2000 consent decree for 20yr management is outdated and a failure, not based on science, would force conversation to change this archaic system that has systematically taken access away from sport anglers in northern Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Fear if Lake Trout are reduced we won't have anything to catch----reducing mouths (predation) to increase prey populations by other species other than Chinook is what our members and the public asked the GLSI to fight for.

Native only agenda forced on the states and anglers by the USFWS, GLFC and the documented suppression of alewives and rainbow smelt by increased populations of lake trout is what we should be fighting. This is a perpetual jobs bill for the feds not a program for angler satisfaction.

Lake Michigan has been on a path to follow Lake Huron and be Laker heavy---Remember the fight to save our salmon industry. Which is on track....now people are fighting the commercial fishery to save the lake trout from fear they won't have anything to fish for has been one argument??

Put tribes and state in a position to work together better and push back the federal agencies that are making efforts to control the management of our fisheries.

Our lake system is an invasive system and is healthier with a balanced diverse predator relationship not just Natives ONLY. Don't drink the Kool-Aid!

Tribal and State commercial anglers don't want lakers at the current market value of 50 cents per lb, they want whitefish at $2.00 per lb. Doesn't pay to target lakers, but they would like to recoup dollars lost through efforts shoveling them back.

Food for thought

I think its a good idea, I want as many people as possible invested in the overall health of the fishery. The biggest problem in the Lakes is invasive species, not over harvest. I say give out permits for perch, walleye, whitefish, sturgeon, eelpout, whatever else they can think of and allow managers to set sustainable limits and then make sure the fish are there. Then sue the shipping companies and industries responsible for the gobies and mussels and shrimp and alewives to come up with some solutions.

The last thing we need is to promote/increase commercial fishing on Lake Michigan. I hate to paint all commercial operations with a broad brush but remember a few facts. Commercial fishing is what first upset the balance of Lake Michigan (and the other lakes) leading to the collapse. Commercial fishing is very non-selective. Commercial fishing is impossible to police. Every time commercial fishing fleets are subjected to close scrutiny by enforcement, they are found to be over-harvesting and under-reporting. Commercial fishing has realistically devastated every fishery they've ever targeted - even in the oceans. Tuna, cod, salmon, pollock, etc. Both long liners and netters. I had a Lake Superior commercial fisherman tell me, "Once we learned how to use monofilament long lines on the spawning reefs, I've no doubt we'd have caught he last lake trout in Lake Superior if they hadn't shut us down."
Hate lakers all you want. Lobby the state and feds to discontinue stocking them. Up the recreational limit. But don't put the commercial boats back in action on Lake Michigan.

Commercial fishermen have done nothing on the scope of invasive species to damage the fishery.

The Great Lakes should be able to support commercial harvest. The cod, tuna, haddock, salmon, etc should be able to support commercial fishing. The problem is we don’t do enough to protect the environment.

I believe at this point we have missed the point some. I have heard that tribal netters are allowed 400-500 lbs. of by catch when netting for white fish. No change here, been going on for a long time. There are commercial netters that are not tribal so they are not allowed the by catch allowed of lake trout up to 100lbs.They also have been commercially harvesting whitefish for many years, no change here. Is it better to shovel dead fish back into the lake? The language that Michigan DNR has is from 1968. Does it need revisions? Bringing this to a head will the language be updated? There is more to come on this subject but sure has gotten some attention. Tribal areas are under the consent decree which is up for revision in 2020.