Inland Seas Angler - GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT

The Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council publishes a newsletter titled: Inland Seas Angler - GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT. Attached is the April 2015 issue for your review.

IL Conservation Police arrest commercial fisherman for sale of live Asian carp

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois Conservation Police have arrested a commercial fisherman for the unlawful possession and sale of 1,800 pounds of live Asian bighead and silver carp. Randall E. Watters of Hamburg, IL was arrested October 7, 2014. He was charged in Calhoun County for the Unlawful Sale of Live Injurious Species (Class 3 Felony) and Unlawful Possession of Live Injurious Species (Class ‘A’ Misdemeanor). Ronald D. Watters of Hamburg, IL was ticketed for possession of live bighead carp.

 

“Commercial fishermen play a key role in our efforts to control Asian carp, and we make every provision to allow them to deliver fresh product to processing plants,” said Illinois DNR Director Marc Miller. “However, our Conservation Police Officers take the job of preventing the spread of invasive species seriously, and anyone who attempts to transport or sell live Asian carp will be cited.”

 

Rules governing “injurious” species, such as Asian bighead and silver carp, are designed to curtail the spread of these species. The complete rule can be found here: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/017/01700805sections.html. By state law, fish are considered to be live if they are held in a container with water, are held in a solution of salt, electrolyte, or other substance, or combination to promote health or longevity. The fish cannot be maintained by the addition of oxygen or compressed or supplied air to keep them alive in captivity.

 

A Class 3 Felony is punishable by up to 2-5 years imprisonment plus one-year mandatory supervised release, and up to $25,000 in fines or restitution. A Class A Misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in prison, fines of up to $2,500, or restitution.

Source: Inland Seas Angler GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT – GLSFC

Yellow Perch Summit update

The Illinois DNR and Great Lakes Fishery Commission recently hosted a Yellow Perch Summit at the U of Illinois Chicago campus to consider that question.

The natural resources agencies, organizations, and individuals who were there are committed to working together on lakewide efforts to sustain the perch fishery in the lake. Lake Michigan fish populations know no state or other boundaries. Their management requires cooperation among all of us. Presentations by invited experts at the summit detailed the status of yellow perch in Lake Michigan, and why fewer perch than decades ago may be the new “normal.”

Offshore productivity in Lake Michigan is much lower today than it was during the last “heyday” for perch fishing in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Productivity is now very similar to Lake Superior, the larger and colder Great Lake to the north. The food web for yellow perch in Lake Michigan also has changed due to the presence of invasive mussels, spiny water fleas and round gobies. Changes in productivity and the food web mean less food is available, which affects perch recruitment, or the number of fish reaching reproductive age. Low or inconsistent recruitment means fewer perch are available for anglers to catch. Clearer water in the lake also may mean adult perch spend less time near-shore in the summer, another factor that can affect perch fishing success.

Since the early 1990s, when yellow perch populations declined rapidly in Lake Michigan, fisheries managers have closed commercial fishing, and implemented restrictions to protect yellow perch from further declines. For sport fishing in Illinois, those restrictions include a 15-fish daily limit, and a closure for perch fishing during July (except for youth under age 16, who can catch up to 10 perch a day during the July closure.

These management efforts may have prevented a total collapse of the perch fishery, but data presented at the summit show lakewide perch abundance remains low. The option of stocking perch was discussed, but is likely impractical because stocking larger fingerlings that could survive in today’s Lake Michigan would be incredibly expensive. There is also a danger that stocking might introduce new diseases or poorly adaptive genetic traits to existing perch stocks.

We heard calls from Illinois anglers for easing or eliminating the July closure of perch fishing in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan, and instead closing fishing during the spring spawning season. These changes in management are under consideration.

Though easy fixes may be elusive, IDNR remains dedicated to the pursuit of management efforts we hope will lead to recovery of yellow perch in Lake Michigan. That means using sound science, sharing data, and working toward consensus among all partners on coordinated management goals and strategies to improve perch fishing and other Lake Michigan fishing for future generations.

If you missed the summit, the presentations and other information are archived online at this link: http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lmc/yellow_perch_videos.html.

Source: Great Lakes Basin Report

MN researchers plan on fighting Asian carp with underwater speakers

Researchers at the U. of Minnesota have a bold plan to use sound to contain the spread of Asian carp in the Mississippi River. According to WCCO 4, the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center intends to place underwater speakers in key sections of the Mississippi River, but they have to act fast.

“Just a few months ago, it was announced, somewhat surprisingly, that their eggs were just found south of the Minnesota border,” said Peter Sorenson, a University of Minnesota professor and director of the center. Sorenson’s plan is to install the acoustic barriers at Lock and Dam Number 8 near Genoa, Wisconsin. The center is now scrambling for funds to build the custom speakers, estimated to cost $60,000, before the carp arrive. In March, scientists from the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced that Asian carp have penetrated as far north in Wisconsin as Lynxville, which is about 150 miles from Genoa. Since acoustic barriers only deter carp rather than kill them, researchers will have to work fast to get the speakers in place before the invasive fish pass the barrier.

Asian carp have spread quickly since the species first arrived in the Mississippi River in the late 1960s. The fish can now be found in 31 states and are considered to be highly detrimental to native fish and plant life. Carp have very good hearing, up to 100 times better than some other fish species. This is especially true of bigheaded carp, which are easily disturbed by changes in water flows. The underwater speakers work by emitting a low-frequency sound in conjunction with high velocity water jets that repel Asian carp. Sorenson’s team is not the only group of researchers studying acoustic tools to use against the fish; the USGS’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center is also developing its own sound barriers.

Researchers admitted that sound barriers are not guaranteed to stop Asian carp in their tracks, but said the technology compliments other deterrence methods well. More traditional barriers include screened flow gates, electric barriers, and fish-killing treatment plants. The center is currently accepting donations.

Source: Great Lakes Basin Report –(Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council)

Important time sensitive issues:

FCC extends comment period on GPS decision to March 16

Comment Period for Cormorant Management ends April 6 Here are two issues that are of importance to us in the Great Lakes region, issues that could impact our fishery resources and our GPS finding capability. Your action is important on both.

 

Dan Thomas, President

Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council

Glsfc444@gmail.com FCC extends comment period on GPS decision to March 16

 

BoatUS recently cautioned that America's boaters weren't out of the woods yet with the possibility of the country's sole electronic navigation system failing as the result of radio signal interference issues from a newly proposed cellular broadband network.

 

The Federal Communications Commission extended the public comment period to the network's proposed builder, LightSquared, allowing comments through March 16. Boaters and all users of GPS are urged to submit comments to the FCC to ensure that the nation's system of global positioning devices keeps Americans safely on course.

Here is how to file comments to the FCC through its online comment form:

 

Click here for the FCC online Comment form: http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list

• Select ―Proceeding Number 11-109.‖

• Enter contact information.

• In the box that says ―Type in or paste your brief comments,‖ here are some points to select from:

• Explain how you use GPS in your life — on the water, on land or in the air.

• What would happen to your business/personal life if GPS became unavailable or unreliable?

• Wireless broadband service is important, but it should not come at the expense of GPS.

• All of the studies show that LightSquared's proposed network would cause interference and that there are no remedies.

• Tell the FCC that you rely on it to protect the integrity of the GPS signal and that you support its recommendation to stop LightSquared's current proposal.

• Click ―Continue.‖

• If the review page is correct, click ―Confirm.‖

 

Comment Period for Cormorant Management ends April 6

 

Click here to submit comments: http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=FWS-R9-MB-2011-0033%252B

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting public comments to guide the preparation of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement related to revising regulations governing the management of Double-crested Cormorants.

 

USFWS requesting input

 

These latest comments will update the original 2003 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS): Double-crested cormorant management in the United States (USFWS 2003, 208 pp). USFWS is requesting comments to help them determine future national policy for effective management of double-crested cormorant populations in the United States.

 

One group, the Lake Huron Citizens Fishery Advisory Committee is supporting the Michigan DNR’s recommendation to amend the 2003 Final Environmental Impact Statement to incorporate a regional approach. Managing the cormorant population at the Flyway level ensures that the cormorant population is protected and significantly increases efficiency and flexibility for the action agencies (State fish and wildlife agencies, federally recognized Tribes and State Directors of USDA Aphis Wildlife Services). The cormorant take for each state would be determined by discussions between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and each Flyway Council with the goal of each State maintaining breeding cormorant abundance above minimum thresholds while reducing bureaucratic hindrances within each State.

GLSFC Special Bulletin

February 8, 2009
GLSFC Special Bulletin

Grandparents.com is looking for a fisherman…

Grandparents.com is looking for a fisherman (or woman) who is a grandparent and actively passes down the fishing tradition to their grandchild or grandchildren. They are looking for someone who teaches their grandchild/grandchildren fishing techniques, old fishing lore, and about life through the sport of fishing.

This grandparent must see their grandchildren regularly and make a point of carving out time for fishing as a regular activity.

Perhaps they go on fishing expeditions together. The grandchild or grandchildren should also be very interested in fishing because of what their grandparent teaches them. This is a great opportunity to get your club some online exposure. We will pass on the first three names we receive to our contact at grandparents.com.

E-mail to staff@great-lakes.org

Their website: www.grandparents.com

The article will run under the column Grand Perspectives and would be the first sport-themed interview run in that column.

Dan Thomas, President
Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council

So is fish safe to eat or not?

The current official advice from the Food and Drug Administration and the EPA is that pregnant and nursing women and young children can safely eat up to 12 ounces — roughly two servings — of most fish a week, but should limit their intake of albacore tuna to 6 ounces a week and avoid entirely four species of fish containing high levels of mercury.

But the two agencies are at loggerheads over the two-serving limit. The FDA has circulated a draft report suggesting that the vast majority of fetuses and infants would actually benefit if their mothers ate more than two servings of fish a week because fish contain highly beneficial nutrients that aid in brain development. The FDA’s scientists argue that those benefits outweigh any potential harm.

Have mercury warnings gone too far in driving women away from a potentially beneficial food source? Meanwhile, experts caution that consumers should choose from fish that are low in mercury, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.

Source: Inland Seas Angler Great Lakes Basin Report

WI commercial fisher settles state suit over fisheries violations for $27,500

MADISON – Wholesale fish dealer Susie Q Fish Co., Inc., and its President, licensed commercial fisherman Michael J. LeClair, have agreed to pay $27,500 to the State Conservation Fund to settle state claims brought under Wisconsin's conservation laws.

The State's complaint charged that LeClair under-reported his whitefish catch, and that he caught more fish than were allowed by his quota. It charged that LeClair sold or transferred the over-quota fish to Susie Q, which possessed and sold them. The judgment resolves claims against both LeClair and Susie Q.

Source: GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT

Invasives control possible by DOE project

In a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers have developed an environmentally safe bacterial toxin to control zebra & quagga mussels that have found their way into the waterways of 25 states over the past two decades, fouling the environment as they spread.

The new bio-pesticide was derived from a common soil bacterium at the New York Museum Field Research Lab in Cambridge. When ingested in large quantities, the bacterium is lethal to these mussels, but harmless to non-target organisms, including native freshwater mollusks.

In experimental treatments of zebra and quagga mussels, the bio-pesticide achieved a 98% mortality rate in service water systems at a New York power plant. The addition of the bacterium to the water supply showed no effects on humans.

Since their introduction to the U.S. in the mid-1980s, these critters have cost the North American economy billions of dollars in lost industrial productivity and the expense of control efforts. The two species, native to Europe, have few natural predators in America, and they compete with indigenous mussels, disrupting the native food chain.

When the invaders grow in high density, they can block pipes that deliver water to power-plant cooling systems, shutting down electricity generation while the organisms are removed. Large colonies can also threaten water supplies for drinking, fire-fighting, and irrigation.

Methods now used by power-plant operators to control these critters include chemical chlorination, filtration, and pre-oxidation of intake water. Use of the new bacterial toxin is economically competitive with these other methods while having minimal effect on native species. Application of the bacterial toxin will allow power plant operators to reduce or eliminate the use of chlorination that can harm aquatic ecosystems.

For more info: http://www.fossil.energy.gov

Source: GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT

Feds implement Mass Marking program for Salmon and Trout

New, long sought equipment will pay benefits to states & anglers for years to come

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Lakes Region late last month received the first of a series of automated fish tagging trailers ― an initial step in the development of a mass marking program that will eventually mark or tag all salmon and trout stocked into U.S. waters of the Great Lakes. Once implemented, this initiative will become the largest coordinated tagging and recovery program ever envisioned for Great Lakes management agencies.

A similar coordinated program is planned by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Canadian waters of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes program is modeled after a successful 20-year mass-marking program for salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

A program long sought by regional DNR agencies, the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council and other conservation groups, the centerpiece of this approach to mass marking is the computer-operated, automated tagging and marking trailer known as the AutoFish System. The system, designed, built and marketed by Northwest Marine Technology of Anacortes, WA (http://www.nmt-inc.com/) provides an alternative to manual clipping and tagging of fish ready for release to the wild.

This alternative is really the greatest benefit to resource manage-ment, egg collection, hatchery management and stocking regimes. It will dramatically reduce fish stocking mortality due to manual fin clipping and simultaneously offer resoundingly improved data collection on stocking, paired with declining state labor costs. The long-term benefits will also be realized by increased angler opportunities.

The AutoFish System is a self-contained mobile unit in a 44’ aluminum fifth wheel trailer. The system has the capability to rapidly sort by length, clip the adipose fin, and insert coded-wire tags to more than 60,000 salmon and trout per eight-hour day without anesthetic or human handling. The fish are never completely dewatered during the process, thereby reducing stress. Fin clipping rates and tag placement accuracy is superior to that of manual operations and less costly than manual clipping and tagging systems.

FWS is leading this program at the request of state and tribal fishery agencies in the eight Great Lakes States through the Council of Lake Committees of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The Service's Green Bay National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (NFWCO) will provide overall coordination of Basin-wide tagging and marking for 21 state hatcheries, four Service hatcheries and one tribal hatchery that stock salmon and trout. Green Bay NFWCO will also assist partner agencies with project planning, data collection, statistical analysis and laboratory services to extract and read the coded-wire tags from harvested fish.

The estimated cost to implement the mass-marking program over a five-year period will be around $12 million for equipment and $6 million per year for operational costs. Congress awarded the Service $1.2 million this year to begin the project.

For years the Service has fin-clipped (marked) and/or coded-wire-tagged all of the lake trout stocked into the Great Lakes for the restoration of this species. Recovery of the tagged and marked lake trout helps the Service, state and tribal fisheries agencies evaluate the performance and movement of these fish. Tagging also allows for evaluation of the survival and growth between strains, stocking locations, and sizes at stocking. With the new mass marking initiative, continued evaluation of hatchery fish is now being extended to other salmon and trout species raised by the states and tribes in U.S. waters.

Coded-wire tags are thin pieces of metal wire that are inserted into the snout of fish just prior to stocking and contain a numeric code that is specific to a certain group of fish. All coded-wire tagged fish also receive an adipose fin clip to identify them as having a tag. When fish are recovered from fisheries and assessment activities, they are scanned with a metal detector to locate the tag. The tag is then removed and read. When many recovered tags are analyzed over time, biologists can determine relative survival, movement, growth rates and age of the fish.

Source: GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT

GLSFC Special Report - Sept 10, 2008

Cormorant control in Green Bay / Door County

Public comment period open until Sept 25
There is a public comment period on Wisconsin’s proposed cormorant control plan, and comments must be received by September 25.

Letters should reference: "EA 08-61 Double Crested Cormorant Management in Wisconsin." Just addressed your letter - To Whom It May Concern-

The Wisconsin cormorant population was state-listed as endangered in 1972, but increased to 2,213 nesting pairs in 1985. Delisted in 1986, nesting pair numbers increased to 10,546 in 1997 and 14,882 in 2005. More than 80% of the nesting pairs in Wisconsin are in the Lower Green Bay and Door County areas. Substantial numbers of cormorants migrating through Wisconsin in spring and fall also contribute to damage and conflicts.

Electronic copies of the Environmental Analysis on double-crested cormorant damage management are available at the USFWS web site: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/MidwestBird/cormorants.htm or the USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nepa.shtml Hard copies of the report may be obtained by contacting USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, 732 Lois Dr., Sun Prairie, WI 53590, (608) 837-2727, FAX (608) 837-6754.

Written comments on the EA will be accepted through September 25, 2008. Your comments should be submitted to the above address for USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services. When faxing a comment, a copy should also be mailed to ensure that a complete version of the text is received.

The document is extremely long (157 pages), however, you don't need to comment on the specifics of the plan. We were contacted by Rep. Karl Van Roy’s office saying they submitted a letter generally supporting efforts to aggressively and permanently reduce the DCCO population in Wisconsin citing the destruction of habitat, displacement of other birds, damage to personal property, decimation of fish populations, etc.

Rep. Van Roy spoke to a person at the Wisconsin DNR about this, and she said they need to get letters of support for the program. There is concern the authorities will only hear from "bird lovers" and not from the "fish lovers."

Dan Thomas, President
Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council
staff@great-lakes.org