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We wanted to update you on the next steps in the legal fight over the proposed consent decree.    CPMR filed an extensive list of objections to proposed decree in January.   Earlier this month, the State of Michigan, the 5 Tribes and Federal Government filled their response to our objections.  We are very disappointed in the response from the State of Michigan. These legal documents are difficult to read but they are all linked here if you care to do so. 
drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1W...g4thCp-go7jZhcGKCvLU

The next step will be public proceedings in Federal District Court in Kalamazoo on May 24th and 25th.  We will keep you updated on what happens then.   CPMR also filed an appeal in Federal Appelate Court to have a complete role in negotiations to represent anglers since the state has abandoned us.  If you have not made a donation to help in the legal costs for this battle, we encourage you to do so today.  We need to keep our attorneys in this fight.   Here is a link to donate: 
www.gofundme.com/f/protect-great-lakes-s...r&utm_term=undefined

If you are following our Facebook page, you have probably seen the rest of this information.   We are sending this by email to catch up members who do not use Facebook.   Here is some updates we have posted there.   It will be a long read since we have some catching up to do.

It's time to buy your new fishing license in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. They expire March 31st at midnight. Minnesota fishing licenses expired Feb 28. Ohio fishing licenses expire 365 days after you buy one so your renewal date is dependent on when you last bought a fishing license. Here are links to buy your license online:
Michigan: www.mdnr-elicense.com/
Indiana: www.in.gov/.../indiana-fish-and-wildlife-online.../
Wisconsin: dnr.wisconsin.gov/.../outreach/FishingLicenses
Minnesota: www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/online-sales.html
Ohio: ohiodnr.gov/.../fishing-resources/fishing-licenses
Ontario: www.ontario.ca/page/fishing

Coast Watch surface temp maps are back, more info here:
www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_n...zM90TnRrKCSFGrEr6nt4

Here is an update on the Indiana Fisheries workshop hosted by the GLSI and Izaak Walton League in February. First, we want to thank Matt Kornis from the US Fish and Wildlife Service for his presentation on the mass marking program. One key point from his presentation is that fish stocked in Indiana are being caught and contributing to the fishery all the way to the northern part of Lake Michigan. It also illustrates the importance of turning in micro-tagged heads. It let's fisheries managers know that a stocking site was successful so they keep stocking more fish there.

We also want to thank Ben Dickenson from the Indiana DNR for his presentation on the predator prey ratio and how it affects stocking decisions. Ben took all the questions the group had and stayed around after the meeting for some small group discussions. One of our goals for this meeting was to give anglers a chance to discuss the issues important to us with the IDNR and that was a resounding success! We hope to have future meetings like this to foster communication between anglers and Indiana fisheries managers. We also appreciate the Izaak Walton League in Portage Indiana for letting us use their awesome facility. We have been to a lot of fisheries meetings, and this is one of the few where the anglers who attended could enjoy a cold beer and other beverages at the meeting from the club.

Ed Erdalac, our GLSI board member, took the time to visit the Mixsawbah Hatchery and he gave an update on their operation and outlook for the future. There is virtually no natural reproduction in Indiana streams and the fishery is dependent on hatchery production and can be regulated by adjusting stocking numbers annually. Indiana is increasing king stocking to 275,000 for this spring. Mixsawbah was built in 1974 to produce 500,000 trout and salmon annually to meet the demands of the fishery.

Three species of salmonids are reared at Mixsawbah. Chinook salmon are stocked in the streams at five months of age or 3.5 inches in length. The steelhead and coho are kept in the rearing ponds for 7-14 months where they grow to a size of 4.25 to 7 inches before being released.
Mixsawbah was constructed in 1974 and will be 50 years old next year. The planned increase to stock 275,000 kings in Indiana is now in tanks with little kings swimming and growing as you read this. Can Mixsawbah produce the 275,000 young kings yearly for us over the next 3-5 years??? If you ask the staff, they are sure going to give it their best shot. Mixsawbah also hatches and raises 135,000 Skamania steelhead, 120,000 Michigan (winter) run steelhead, and 90,000 Coho salmon.

The heart of Mixsawbah’s operation is the bio-filter. Over time repairs to the bio-filter have been made to keep the operation in motion as Mixsawbah is still operating on the original bio-filter. The bio-filter harbors bacteria, which convert ammonia, the major excretory product of fish, to harmless nitrates. The reconditioned water flows from the bio-filters to a clear well under the building where it is pumped up through an aeration chamber, and overflows to the storage basin supplying the outside rearing ponds. Water leaving the hatchery is tested to meet federal, state and local water quality standards. A NPDES violation could result in a hatchery shutdown.

One issue the GLSI is concerned about is the hatchery has a lot of old equipment in use there. The bio-filter has never been replaced and if it fails, we could lose fish being raised in the hatchery. It was announced that Michigan is injecting over 30 million dollars of Federal ARPA funds to upgrade its hatchery system.

We feel the State of Indiana needs to do something similar for the Mixsawbah hatchery to keep it running in top shape. This issue concerned all the anglers in attendance and we discussed possible ways to get more state or federal funding for the hatchery, even if just a one-time boost to upgrade and modernize the facility. Using ARPA funds may be the best solution. The GLSI is hoping that anglers and fishing organizations in Indiana can all pull together to push the leaders in Indianapolis to commit some funding for this important need. We are going to continue to work together with these groups to try to make this happen.

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Last, we have a new DNR Fisheries Chief, here is the announcement on that:

New Chief of the Michigan Fisheries Division
This is a DNR-All message from Acting Director Shannon Lott.

Dear DNR Colleagues:
I am thrilled to announce that Randy Claramunt has been named the next chief of our Fisheries Division. Randy will assume this new role effective March 5, taking over for current Fisheries Chief Jim Dexter, who retires at the end of April. The overlap in Randy’s assumption of this role and Jim’s retirement will allow for a smooth transition.

Randy is well known to many of you, having served the DNR in a variety of capacities, most recently as the Lake Huron Basin coordinator. Before that he was a research biology specialist, as well as the interim Charlevoix Fisheries Research Station manager and supervisor for the Habitat Management Unit. Prior to joining the DNR, Randy gained quality experience with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, first as a fisheries biologist and then as interim natural resources director.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in aquatic ecology from the University of Illinois.
Randy’s experience, approachability, energy, and passion for the resource – as well as for the people and partners who enjoy and help care for Michigan’s fisheries – put him in an excellent position to lead the division through the many opportunities and challenges ahead. I am confident that his extensive background in fisheries management within Michigan, other states and Tribal governments will ensure continued success on key initiatives, create new avenues for staff growth and engagement, and further cement Michigan’s reputation for healthy, thriving fisheries and one-of-a-kind recreational opportunities.
Please join me in congratulating Randy on this exciting new chapter!

That's all for this update.   The coho's are biting on the south end of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.    There has also been some very good brown trout fishing off of Ludington.   Hope you can get on the water soon!



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