Outdoors: Indiana halts king stockings Biologists hoping cuts boost alewife numbersLOUIE STOUT
South Bend Tribune
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In case you haven’t heard, Indiana announced last week that it will halt king (chinook) salmon stockings in 2017.That’s big news considering that kings are considered the prized fish in Great Lakes circles.The move came on the heels of recommendations from the “Lake Michigan Committee,” a group of fish managers responsible for managing the lake. The committee has called for a 62 percent lake-wide king salmon reduction with hopes of avoiding a forage base crash.Hoosier Lake Michigan biologist Brian Breidert said cuts are critical to survival of all gamefish that feed on alewives. The cuts will remain in effect as long as alewife numbers remain at historic lows.“We only have two year classes of alewives out there right now,” said Breidert. “We’re seeing similar signs here that occurred on Lake Huron before it lost all of its alewives.” Coho and steelhead stocking numbers will stay intact. Although those fish eat alewives when they can find them, their diet also includes insects, gobies and shiners.Kings are not only voracious feeders of alewives but they are reproducing naturally in Lake Michigan.“There is as high as 65 percent natural reproduction going on with chinooks, so there will still be kings out there,” Breidert insisted. “Hopefully the lake-wide cuts will take some of the pressure off the forage base.” Other Lake Michigan bordering states’ expected cuts include Illinois (36 percent), Wisconsin (30 percent), and Michigan (11.8 percent).Previously, Lake Michigan states stocked 3,327,500 kings annually. The 2017 cuts would bring it down to about 650,000.Initially, Indiana was asked to cut 20 percent of its annual 225,000 stocking, but chose to eliminate them altogether. Indiana stocks the fewest number of kings of all the states.However, all is not lost. Breidert said Indiana will use the available hatchery space to raise another 45,000 yearling Skamania steelhead that will go into the Little Calumet River system. Those fish will be held longer in the hatchery to be stocked in the spring as opposed to the previous fall. They will be closer to seven inches when planted and should experience higher survival.As adults, they will return to the lake and be available to everyone.The salmon cuts don’t come without controversy. The kings are the trophy fish of Lake Michigan given their fast growth and fighting ability.Many salmon anglers would have preferred the states cut deeper into lake trout stockings, which they say eat just as many alewives and aren’t as enjoyable to catch.The Lake Michigan committee also has recommended states cut 550,000 lakers from future stocking efforts this fall.“Chinooks eat way more alewives than lake trout,” said Breidert. “Sure, Chinooks are more expensive to raise, but we’re not cutting to save money. We’re just trying to save the resource.”The Lake Michigan Fisheries Management Team will have an informational meeting about the cuts from 7-8:30 p.m., Central Time Aug. 10 at the American Legion Post 451 in Michigan City.Steelhead comingLake Michigan biologists report a slug of steelhead moved through the South Bend dam from June 30 to July 14.Breidert said 707 Skamania trout had climbed the ladder during that period. Skamania typically run into rivers during the summer when water temperatures permit. However, rising river temps are expected to slow the run.
