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[url=https://www.facebook.com/greatlakesalmon/?__cft__[0]Great Lakes Salmon Initiative[/url]

Want to give you a quick update on one of the projects we are involved in. We have posted earlier in the year regarding the Lake Michigan Salmonine Stocking Structured Decision Making Workgroup. This is a collaboration between MSU, MDNR, and stakeholder groups using structured decision making to help make informed and decisive stocking decisions in the future.
There have been a number of steps to the process identifying problems, objectives, alternatives, consequences, and actions. Our latest meeting revolved around a 20,000 ft view of examples of models that can be used to identify alternatives and consequences associated with stocking decisions. We were presented with data from the Lk Mi/Huron predator stomach study which has been going for the past 4 years. This data when combined with past stocking and mortality data we can begin to produce models that predict consequences associated with different stocking strategies. Sounds pretty basic and redundant but it is a step in the process. This is one of the reasons our organization continues to actively promote data gathering activities such as the CWT tag reward program and stomach collection project. The better the data for the models, the more confidence we will have in the outcomes.
We believe having a structured decision making process associated to our salmon stocking process is of great value in sustaining our beloved fishery and will continue to play a part in it's development and implementation.
Please let us know your thoughts.