Sea Grant Advisory Board Member Spearheads Lake Superior Conservation; Group Receives Award

May 16, 2016
Wisconsin Sea Grant today extended congratulations to the Apostle Islands Sport Fishermen’s Association (AISA), which received the Wisconsin Conservation Congress’s 2016 Local Conservation Organization of the Year Award last Friday. It was during the congress’s three-day statewide annual meeting.

The award cited the association’s 36-year track record to improve both the fishery and the habitat in the Apostle Islands. Recently, AISA spearheaded an initiative with Wisconsin Sea Grant to alert anglers and boaters to the dangers of so-called ghost nets in Lake Superior. The nets are commercial fishing nets that have broken free of moorings, which then drift—picking up debris and continuing to trap fish. If anglers or boaters become entangled in the nets, they run the risk of damaging boats, equipment or even capsizing. The sport fisherman’s association and Sea Grant have collaborated with Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission on the effort.

“Al House of the Apostle Islands Sport Fishermen’s Association spearheaded this safety effort that is protecting property and even lives,” said Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer. “We know the message is getting out there. Just last summer, for example, we heard from the National Park Service that they knew what to do when rangers encountered a ghost net at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Our ghost net education pointed them in the right direction for removal and disposal that cleaned up an area and removed a safety hazard.”

Since 1980, the AISA has engaged in other worthwhile activities, including:

·       Acting as an essential partner in the creation of the Gull Island Refuge to provide protection to the Lake Trout that reproduced on the Gull Island Shoals. This refuge has been one of the most important factors in the successful restoration of Lake Trout in the Apostle Islands.

·       Developing habitat for the Piping Plover, an endangered species that nests in the Chequamegon Bay area.

·       Formulating innovative stocking programs for walleye and chinook salmon.

“It is a great honor to receive this award from the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, an organization which for 82 years has worked to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources for the benefit of all Wisconsin residents,” said Al House, current AISA president. “It is a credit to all past and present AISA members, officers, and board members for their efforts on behalf of the Apostle Islands Fishery. We thank them, as well as all the other organizations, both here and state wide, that work on behalf of our natural resources.”

House is also a longtime member of the Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Council.

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress is a statutory body of citizen-elected delegates that advises the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board and Department of Natural Resources.

Apostle Islands Sport Fishermen’s Association Website

2016 Mille Lacs regulations designed to keep walleye fishing open

Regulations designed to protect the fish needed to rebuild Mille Lacs Lake’s walleye population will require that walleye anglers use only artificial bait and immediately release all walleye when Minnesota’s 2016 fishing season opens Saturday, May 14.

“A catch-and-release walleye season allows us to protect future spawners yet acknowledges the desire that fishing remain open,” said Don Pereira, fisheries chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Not allowing harvest is a difficult decision but it provides our best option.”

From May 14 to Thursday, Dec. 1, anglers targeting walleye must use artificial bait and immediately release all walleye caught. Anglers targeting northern pike and muskellunge may possess and use sucker minnows longer than 8 inches but all other anglers must not possess any other bait that is live, dead, frozen or processed.

Other changed regulations for the 2016 season on Mille Lacs include:

• Walleye: Night closure beginning Monday, May 16, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and continuing through Dec. 1. Muskellunge anglers may fish at night but all baits, live or artificial, in possession must be at least 8 inches long.
• Northern pike: Five fish with only one longer than 40 inches. All northern 30-40 inches long must be immediately released.
• Bass: Four fish with only one longer than 21 inches. All fish 17-21 inches long must be immediately released.

“These new regulations reflect the DNR’s commitment to continue providing world-class fishing at one of Minnesota’s premier vacation destinations,” Pereira said.

Last year on Mille Lacs, walleye anglers could use live bait and keep one walleye 19-21 inches long or longer than 28 inches. Walleye fishing closed in August when fishing pressure, the number of fish caught and temperatures combined to push the state over its 28,600 pound walleye limit. Fishing re-opened on Dec. 1, 2015, with a walleye limit of one 18-20 inches or one longer than 28 inches.

This year’s safe walleye harvest level established by the DNR and Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission remains at 40,000 pounds, with 28,600 allocated to state anglers and 11,400 to tribal anglers. Allowing fishing beyond those limits puts the walleye population at risk and a federal court decision requires that walleye fishing be suspended.

“The possibility of closing Mille Lacs to walleye fishing is greater this year than it was last,” Pereira said. “Even with our catch-and-release approach, the risk remains considerable.”

Concern stems from the additional pressure that hooking mortality – an estimate of the number of fish that die after being caught and returned to the water – has on walleye harvest. Hooking mortality rates also increase as water temperatures warm. Both factors are at play in Mille Lacs this year.

The DNR expects more small- and intermediate-sized fish to be caught, including fish hatched in 2013 that biologists are counting on to rebuild Mille Lacs’ walleye population. These immature fish, which are approaching a more catchable but comparatively small size of 14 inches and longer, need to be protected so they can spawn. Ice is opening on lakes earlier this year, increasing the likelihood that water temperatures will warm faster and sooner.

“A low level of allowed harvest doesn’t necessarily mean slow walleye fishing,” Pereira said. “As we saw last year, factors can combine to alter estimates and require adjustments. We believe that allowing no walleye harvest through catch-and-release is a reasonable yet cautious response based on in-depth analysis and citizen input from the Mille Lacs advisory committee.”

As part of a more comprehensive study to better understand and estimate hooking mortality, the DNR will collect a variety of fishing information on Mille Lacs this summer. Temperature sensors will be placed in different parts of the lake at different depths to more accurately record temperatures where walleye congregate. Information on fishing methods and catches will be collected, too. Part of the information collection aspect of the research program will allow Mille Lacs’ fishing launches to be exempt from the live bait restriction.

“Anglers fish close together on launches, making it extremely difficult to safely cast artificial lures rather than dropping baited lines into the water,” Pereira said. “Since the DNR needs more data to refine its hooking mortality standards, asking launches to provide this data will allow a traditional, popular and enjoyable method of fishing on Mille Lacs to continue.”

Launch operators receiving a permit can use live bait provided they agree to participate in efforts to collect data from fishing trips, launch customers and cooperate with the hooking mortality study. Their permits would be suspended if walleye fishing on Mille Lacs has to be closed.

Bass regulations compromise

Anglers can keep four bass in any combination of largemouth and smallmouth, down from last year’s limit of six fish. The new regulations add a requirement that all fish 17-21 inches be immediately released, and the length restriction for the largest fish an angler may keep increased from 18 to 21 inches.

The early harvest offered on Mille Lacs also was eliminated, requiring that – like the rest of the state – all bass caught during the first two weeks of the season be immediately released.

Mille Lacs’ exemption to the statewide fall closure of the smallmouth bass season remains, meaning that anglers may keep smallmouth bass they catch on Mille Lacs through Feb. 28, 2017.

DNR changed the regulation to balance bass angling groups’ call for stricter regulations to protect Mille Lacs Lake’s world-class smallmouth fishery with the desire and need to provide anglers opportunities to harvest fish.

“Bass regulations are a compromise,” Pereira said. “Last year’s regulations were biologically sound but it was important that DNR also factor in the emerging social aspects in this year’s regulations.”

The ability to exempt large bass tournaments from the size regulation and bag limits remains.

Northern pike regulations change

Mille Lacs anglers can keep five northern pike, only one of which can be longer than 40 inches. All fish 30-40 inches must be immediately released.

The five-fish limit was initially enacted last December. The protected slot limit replaces the provision that allowed anglers to keep only one fish longer than 30 inches.

The earn-a-trophy provision that required anglers to harvest two smaller pike before one larger one was eliminated for the 2016 open water season.

More information about Mille Lacs is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/millelacslake. 

Minnesota DNR Conservation Officer weekly reports

The reports have been updated. Please follow any of the links below to read the latest report.

District 1 - Baudette area
District 2 - Bemidji area
District 3 - Fergus Falls area
District 4 - Wadena area
District 5 - Eveleth area
District 6 - Two Harbors area
District 7 - Grand Rapids area
District 8 - Duluth area
District 9 - Brainerd area
District 10 - Mille Lacs area
District 11 - St. Cloud area
District 12 - Princeton area
District 13 - West Metro area
District 14 - East Metro area
District 15 - Marshall area
District 16 - New Ulm area
District 17 - Mankato area
District 18 - Rochester area

Wisconsin Conservation Congress Opposes Proposed Legislation That Would Again Lengthen Rule Making Process for Fish and Game Laws

 Racine - The Conservation Congress is calling on the state’s conservation community to contact their state legislators and voice their opposition to SB 168 and AB 251, which are rapidly moving through the legislature. These proposed bills would make changes and additions to the rule making process for state agencies like the Department of Natural Resources, which would lengthen the amount of time it takes to promulgate administrative rules by at least six months.

The Department of Natural Resources uses administrative rules to create seasons and bag limits for Wisconsin’s fish and wildlife. With the passage and implementation of 2011 Act 21, the administrative rule process was modified and lengthened from 12-18 months to promulgate and implement rules to 2- 3 years. These proposed changes would add additional steps and lengthen that process further.

“Fish and game regulation changes that go through the Conservation Congress and the Spring Hearing process have already been extensively reviewed by the public,” stated Rob Bohmann, Chair of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC), “The changes these bills are proposing would be arduous and duplicative of the current public input process already in place. Most of these rule changes are vetted at annual public hearings in each of the 72 counties. It just isn’t necessary or efficient to add additional steps, especially for those proposed hunting, fishing, and trapping rule changes that are relatively minor in nature, have little or no economic impact, or are overwhelmingly supported by the public.”

Though fish and game rules rarely have any significant economic impact on businesses, additional steps proposed by these bills would still be applied to these rules causing a delay in time-sensitive rulemaking. In addition, extensive governor and legislative oversight of fish and game laws that are implemented pursuant to a federal framework serves no purposeful role.

“This legislation will further slow down the process that is necessary to manage the sustainable use of public trust resources. It is impossible to anticipate all of the unforeseen factors such as sudden habitat degradation, winter severity, inclement weather events, or disease outbreaks that play into wildlife population dynamics so that biologists can properly manage the use of sensitive resources three years into the future. Wildlife and fisheries managers need to have the flexibility to change seasons or bag limits to protect our important natural resources. I urge citizens to contact their legislators and share with them your concerns about the negative impact this could have on Wisconsin’s fish and wildlife populations.”

Summary of Kid’s Ice Fishing Clinic

Brenda Rosin-Schaff led the discussion. 167 Kids were at the parks for the clinics. The Lannon quarry unit caught 25 fish for the record. Last year’s coloring books were destroyed, so she is looking for donations to print more, and evenly distributing those we do have. Brenda is looking for extra rods, and some help fixing up a few she has on hand. Matt Coffare, fish biologist for 31 years, and originator of the clinics has retired, and the group has decided to do something for him. Various clubs are raising enough money to have Al build a rod, George turn a handle, and someone buy a reel, and award him with it.

Report from Wisconsin Fishing Club

Wisconsin Sea Grant to Invest $1.96 Million in Science-Based Projects to Enhance the Great Lakes Economy and Regional Quality of Life

February 22, 2016

By Moira Harrington

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, which is dedicated to the sustainable use of Great Lakes resources through research, education and outreach, today announced the award of $1.96 million in research dollars for 2016. Sea Grant will fund 19 projects on six Wisconsin campuses, along with a shipwreck exploration project in Lake Michigan in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society and an education project with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. 

“We often say the Great Lakes are a gift from the glaciers,” said Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley. “This gift is a valuable one—a 2011 study found 1.5 million jobs are tied to the lakes, with $62 billion in annual wages. Just as the lakes fuel our economy, they also enrich our quality of life. That’s why we are pleased that these science-based projects, 15 new ones and three continuing from 2015, can further Wisconsin’s economic, cultural and public health needs as tied to lakes Michigan and Superior.”

Researchers will look into the health of the waterways, better ways to grow tasty walleyes destined for people’s dinner plates, methods to prevent Great Lakes beach contamination, possible ways to lessen the destruction of floods and more.

In all, nearly 100 researchers, staff and students will be engaged in this work, said Hurley. The campuses are La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Stevens Point, along with Northland College and St. Norbert College. 

Wisconsin Sea Grant Researcher Speaks About Chequamegon Bay Climate Change Projects at UMD

Wisconsin Sea Grant Researcher Speaks About Chequamegon Bay Climate Change Projects at UMD
February 15, 2106

By Marie Zhuikov
Wisconsin Sea Grant Researcher and Northland College Professor, Randy Lehr, was in Duluth on Feb. 2, speaking about his climate change research in the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior and a new integrated assessment project he’s starting for the same area.

Lehr spoke at the invitation of the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Anthropocene Research Center along with Peter Annin, with whom he co-leads the new Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation.
Lehr said that the Ashland, Wis., area is the focus of hard rains for some reason -- “Harder than most other places studied in the region.” He said the area can expect warmer, wetter weather in the future. With his Wisconsin Sea Grant funding, Lehr and his team are studying the impacts of these hard rains and warming temperatures on the bay and what tools city and natural resource managers can use to address and adapt to these impacts.

The related two-year integrated assessment he is just beginning, also with Sea Grant’s help, blends social and natural sciences. With this “Integrated Assessment and Climate Change Adaptation Planning in the Chequamegon Bay Region of Lake Superior,” Lehr and his colleagues will survey what the most valuable resources are in the area to people and will prioritize them in terms of their natural/social/ecological importance and how likely they are to be impacted by climate change.
“People love their lakes,” Lehr said. “Even if they move away from Wisconsin, surveys have found they are still willing to support local lake associations in their efforts to care for lakes.”

Community leaders and elected officials will be engaged in conversations as part of the process led by Northland College faculty. Decision tools will be developed to help communities decide what actions to take. Local cities (Ashland, Bayfield, Washburn), towns, tribes, the National Park Service and the Forest Service will be involved.

This type of integration is a first for Wisconsin Sea Grant, and may lead to similar assessments elsewhere in the state. The project will kick off with a meeting where all technical and subject-matter experts interact with community leaders, elected officials and their designated staff members.

The Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation that Lehr co-leads is co-located on the Northland College campus in Ashland, Wis., and in Cable, Wis., at the former summer home of the Burke family, Forest Lodge. Its operation is funded by an endowment by the Burke family and the focus is on aquatic research, communication and leadership on freshwater issues throughout the Great Lakes. The center and its 900 acres are being operated in partnership with the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

For more information, please contact Randy Lehr at rlehr@northland.edu.