TOPIC:

Great Lakes Salmon Initiative
7 mins
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Well things are going to start to get interesting again. The MILWAUKEE SENTINEL JOURNAL posted an article updated 2/22 on alewife populations in Lake Michigan stating that recorded acoustic and bottom trawl surveys were at a 4th time low. Once again Chinook are getting attacked in the article, questioning the direction of our managers to save our Chinook fishery.
The GLSI would once again like to question several items? Anglers all around the lake are seeing tremendous amounts of bait. The ecology of the lake has changed due to the Clean Water Act which has reduced nutrient levels but mussels are continuing to get the blame even though they are not taking anything out of the system just redistributing the nutrients to near shore waters. Are the data collection methods changing with the ecological changes? Is there a fair representation of collection locations or is this agenda driven? Are managers and researchers looking at other indexes like weight, overall health of the fish. Again what about the Lake Trout population in the lake and the impact they have had on the population of alewife----where's the balance?

Lake Michigan managers responded by cutting Chinook for years to bring into balance the predator prey ratio but not Lake trout based on a native agenda but have recently responded by listening to stakeholders and groups like the GLSI and WLBA to look at the whole fishery and balance the predator prey ratio. Cuts in Lakers, Browns were made to achieve the desired equivalency ratios but the Chinook "are bad" agenda hasn't quit by some in this article.

So many positive things have happened in the last year to continue our salmon fishery at a quality level. The Michigan DNR adjusted equivalency levels, further coho movement for improved access, established a Zonal Management Strategy, rewrote the Strategic Management plan, fin clipping coho and steelhead this year to understand movements and population distribution. The GLSI is working to continue lake wide management in a positive direction not focusing on a port or area for the overall benefit of all anglers and access to all. Be patient, don't panic and go fishing this year and have fun! We will continue to ask questions and hold agencies accountable for the interest of the majority of anglers and the economic benefits to our coastal communities.