DNR to provide updates on hatchery facilities, stocking plans and harvest data at Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum event
http://dnr.wi.gov/news/releases/article/?id=3919
CLEVELAND, Wis. - Leaders from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries team will summarize data on salmon and trout harvest trends, outline stocking plans for 2016 and provide an update on the department's fish hatcheries and egg collection facilities at the April 9 meeting of the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum.
The event, free and open to the public, runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lakeshore Technical College, 1290 North Avenue, Cleveland, Wis. The meeting will be in the Wells Fargo Room. Other major topics to be covered include an update on trawl research, information from the U.S. Coast Guard and an overview of commercial net pen aquaculture in Michigan.
The Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum offers opportunities for citizens and stakeholders to hear the latest research findings, management news and trends affecting the lake. The forum is facilitated by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute with support from DNR. Representatives from major sport fishing clubs on Lake Michigan and Green Bay, commercial fishers, the Conservation Congress and the University of Wisconsin System are formal members of the forum.
Major ecological changes including the arrival and proliferation of aquatic invasive species such as the quagga mussel have made Lake Michigan less productive over the years. Brad Eggold, DNR's southern Lake Michigan fisheries supervisor, said the reduced availability of forage fish such as alewives continues to put pressure on salmon populations.
"The predator to prey ratio has approached unsustainable levels and we have responded with stocking reductions of 30 percent since 2013," Eggold said. "For 2016 we will continue stocking at these same lower levels but the discussion at the Fisheries Forum will provide additional scientific data and interaction with stakeholders to chart our course for future years. The knowledge gained through collaboration with Sea Grant Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be invaluable as we go forward."
To learn more, visit DNR.wi.gov and search "Fishing Lake Michigan." Historical information about stocking and management of the fishery can be found by searching "Lake Michigan management reports."