Spiel

VHS disease expanding in Lake Michigan April 09 2009 John Myers / Duluth News Tribune These gizzard shad died from VHS disease on the lower Great Lakes. Fish-killing VHS disease has not been found in more inland lakes in Wisconsin, but the virus is spreading to more parts of Lake Michigan and into the Mississippi River system in Ohio. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries officials this week highlighted the results of last year’s testing for the disease, viral hemorrhagic septicemia. Fish experts say cooperation by the public in not moving water, bait or fish out of infected areas appears to have helped slow the spread of the virus to additional lakes. But Mike Staggs, who heads the DNR’s fisheries management program, said it’s bad news that VHS has for the first time broken into the Mississippi River system and has spread hundreds of miles in Lake Michigan. Last year “was a quiet year across the Great Lakes as far as major die-offs being reported,’’ Staggs said. “But what I think is troubling is the major expansion that we’ve seen in the past year. We now have VHS confirmed in an Ohio reservoir on the Mississippi River system, … and now we have it as far south as Milwaukee and into Illinois in Lake Michigan.’’ Staggs said it’s not clear if the lack of fish die-offs in Wisconsin over the past year is a sign of good luck or simply that the disease takes time to settle in. “There’s a theory that there’s a lag time of a few years from when it first shows up and from when you get the larger levels of fish dying … so we’re going to be back out in the field this year looking as much as we can,’’ Stagg said. Wisconsin and Minnesota fisheries officials will work together in coming weeks to test fish in the St. Louis River, said Dennis Pratt, Wisconsin DNR fisheries biologist in Superior. “We’ll be out there shortly after that ice goes out looking for goby, perch and shiners. Those are fish that have been susceptible to VHS in other areas,’’ Pratt said. “We have to assume it’s here. We just haven’t found it yet. … We may not find it until after it starts killing off some larger numbers of fish.’’ VHS, which does not affect people, was first detected in Wisconsin in May 2007 in Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan near Green Bay. Staggs said the DNR will go back to Lake Winnebago this year to re-test for the disease and compare fish population trends to past years. “Seeing a few dead adult fish is not pleasant,’’ Staggs said. “But I’m worried most about finding a long-term, chronic reduction in reproduction.’’

Commercial fishermen remember monster Asian carp March 30, 2009 Rod Kloeckner / chicagotribune.com CHESTER, Ill. - Dragging their trammel nets through the muddy waters of the Mississippi River, Chad Isaak’s commercial fishing crew are rarely surprised at what they’ll find. Tree stumps. Logs. Garbage. It all gets caught in their nets, along with plenty of fish. Occasionally, though, they’ll land something that takes their breath away. One such instance happened recently. Fishing on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River below Chester on Feb. 8, Isaak’s crew pulled in an Asian carp with estimated weight of nearly 90 pounds. The behemoth exceeded the weight limit on their hand-held scale, which topped out at 80 pounds. Isaak, a veteran commercial fisherman from Carlyle who’s been plying this trade for 25 years, estimated the weight between 85 and 90 pounds. “When it was laying next to all of those other fish, it was like two or three of them laying there,” said Isaak, 36. “It was the biggest one I had ever seen.” Isaak and his crew, Travis Jondro and Scott Kleber, both of Carlyle, were working on their second set of the morning when they discovered the giant bighead carp. “It took me and Chad to pull it in without breaking the net,” Jondro said. “You feed that net in by hand and when you get fish, you stop and pull the fish in. We didn’t have a whole lot of fish on that set and when it came to the top, I knew exactly what it was.” Jondro, who has been part of Isaak’s crew for four years, couldn’t believe the size of the fish. “I looked at that and said ‘Oh (crap),”’ Jondro said. “Chad was like ‘What? What?’ And I was like ‘I might need some help.’ The thing is, if you bust that net, they’ll get out and swim away. He helped me wrestle it in.” Jondro and Isaak leaned over the boat and bearhugged the fish, with Jondro at the back and Isaak at the head. They gave the net plenty of slack in case the Asian carp put up a fight, which it didn’t. Once they got it in the boat, the trio took a few minutes to marvel at its size. Then Jondro took some pictures on his cell phone of Isaak holding the fish. “People are pretty surprised when they see it,” Jondro said. “They see that fish with Chad behind it, and Chad’s not a little guy. It kind of makes him looks small.” After the impromptu photo op, it was back to work for the crew. They didn’t save the fish for posterity; they just threw it back in the boat among the 3,000 pounds of Asian carp netted that morning. “We didn’t even think about keeping it,” Jondro said. “It was worth 10 cents a pound, so that was a $9 fish.” Isaak’s crew, which fished the spillway below the dam at Carlyle Lake last year, take the Asian carp to a processor in Pearl, which pays 10 cents a pound. Isaak said bighead carp normally weigh between seven and 30 pounds, with an average of 15 pounds. Giants are not uncommon, however, in the Mississippi. Last year, Darin Opel, of Worden, shot a 92-pound, 8-ounce bighead carp with a compound bow and arrow while fishing for gar on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River near Alton. The fish was the third-largest bighead carp captured in the world and largest in the Western Hemisphere by a recreational angler. “I saw another picture of one, a crew on the Ohio River caught it and it weighed over 90 pounds,” Jondro said. “They get big. They clean up the food supply of the other fish. They’re like filters. They’ll clean a pond. I can imagine what they do in a river.”

Boating forecast 'cautiously optimistic' LEISURE: Economy hurting, but gas prices are low and water levels up April 10, 2009 DAN MCCAFFERY / www.theobserver.ca As summer grows close, many people in Bluewaterland will be turning their attention to boating. And although some marina operators and local boaters are anticipating a slower than normal boating season, largely the result of the economic recession, it's not all doom and gloom. "Despite the economic tsunami -- and that's basically what we're in -- there are a number of fundamental reasons why I'm cautiously optimistic," said Dave Brown, who is involved in the operations of four marinas in Sarnia, Point Edward and Port Huron. Brown pointed out the price of fuel has dropped dramatically this year. So much so, in fact, that a boater who had to spend about $500 to make a trip to a place like Bayfield, can now do it for approximately $300, he said. Brown, who is the managing partner and operator of Bridgeview Marina in Point Edward and Sarnia Bay Marina, said a strong U. S. dollar will help those facilities this summer. And higher water levels will also aid those marinas, as well as the two he's involved with as the director of marina operations for Acheson Ventures in Port Huron. "Water levels are going to be 10 to 12 inches higher this year, and that provides a comfort zone for boaters. People won't have to worry about hitting anything by the shore." Still, Brown knows tough economic times mean he can't just sit back and wait for boaters to come to him. "It's important in the economic environment that we're in to be really aggressive," he said. "We're not just sitting here waiting for the phones to ring. We're making presentations to boat clubs in the states. I'm involved in all four marinas in Port Huron and Sarnia and we're promoting the entire region as a premier boating destination. If we can get them here, they're going to be faced with an incredible welcoming mat." Some marina operators and local boaters are anticipating a slower than normal boating season because many people are wary of spending money on non-essentials. "The biggest concern I have is the loss of jobs and the ability for people to have discretionary income to go boating," said Chester Kolascz, owner of Port Sanilac Marina, north of Port Huron on the Michigan side of Lake Huron. He said forecasting a boat season is "very unpredictable." But he added slow sales of new and used boats are somewhat troubling. At the Belle River Marina in Marine City, across the St. Clair River from Sombra, longtime owner Walter Dunn said his expectations are not high. "We'll have to take it as it comes, but I'm not expecting anything real great," he said.

Most anglers complied with regulations MNR issues ice fishing stats April 8, 2009 DAILY NEWS STAFF / www.chathamdailynews.ca Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers conducted numerous patrols on the ice-covered waters of Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, Rondeau Bay and the Detroit River this winter to check for compliance with ice fishing and safety regulations. In total, 760 resident anglers and 200 nonresident anglers were checked by conservation officers from early January until the last week in February. Compliance with Ontario's sport fishing and public safety related legislation was found to be 75 per cent, the MNR reports. Officers laid 76 charges and 168 warnings were issued for the following offences: fishing without a licence; fishing with too many lines; being more than 60 metres away from fishing lines; fishing without a licence on your person; failing to produce a fishing licence; failing to wear a helmet on an off-road vehicle and snowmobile; and having liquor in an open container. Investigations are still ongoing and additional charges are pending. With the open water season just around the corner, conservation officers will continue patrolling local waterways. Anglers and pleasure boaters are reminded to have the required safety gear on board. To report a natural resource violation, call 1-877-TIPSMNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Canada's Economic Action Plan Makes Major Investment in Oshawa Harbour News Release Oshawa, Ontario, April 8, 2009 The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance along with Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa today announced the Government of Canada’s intention to provide funding from the accelerated Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan to clean-up the Oshawa Harbour. “Our Government is investing in our environment and our communities.” said the Honourable Jim Flaherty. “Across Canada there are shovel-ready projects that have been assessed and have plans in place to begin work on cleaning up contaminated sites. The work on Oshawa Harbour will help stimulate the local economy and means that the harbour will continue to be an important part of the community for future generations.” The Government of Canada has submitted a remediation proposal to the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan that requests $9.2 million over two years to address contamination on Oshawa Harbour marina lands and the west wharf. The funding would also support additional assessments of the sites and their subsequent remediation. “The Oshawa waterfront has been a source of great pride and commitment for me personally “, stated Colin Carrie. “Today’s announcement illustrates our government’s commitment to the people of Oshawa in establishing a clean green, mixed use waterfront.” The Oshawa Harbour project is part of the accelerated funding for federal contaminated sites that was announced in Canada's Economic Action Plan. Over the next two years the federal government aims to accelerate activities under the existing Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan. The full federal contaminated sites inventory at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/dfrp-rbif/cs-sc/. News Durham Region / Feds announce $9.2 million to clean up Oshawa harbour

Fort Pierce man accused of hitting boater in head with fish Sunday, April 5, 2009 / www.tcpalm.com FORT PIERCE — A 39-year-old Fort Pierce man accused of hurling a fish from the North Bridge and allegedly hitting a boater on the head, faces felony and misdemeanor charges, according to an arrest affidavit from the Fort Pierce Police Department. Richard Hughes Corley, of the 3200 block of South U.S. 1, was fishing on the North Bridge late Saturday and, along with several others on the bridge, asked a man to move his boat, the report said. The man said he told the people on the bridge he was not going to move his boat. He then alleges he heard Corley say, “I will make him move his boat.” The man and two witnesses told police Corley then threw a fish that hit the victim on the head before it fell into the boat. The fish appeared to be cut in half and was about 4 or 5 inches long. The man and the others in the boat told police Corley then reeled the fish back out of the boat. The boaters then called police and identified Corley as the fish hurler. The report said police drove the man to the bridge and he identified Corley as throwing the fish as did the two other witnesses. The report said Corley told police, “I told them I was sorry I threw the fish.” Police said they could not find the fish. Corley faces a felony charge of throwing a missile into a vehicle and a misdemeanor battery charge. He was released from the St. Lucie County Jail on $15,000 bond.

What can I say Gerritt, I've lost two couches, numerous shoes and the inside of the door is chewed to pieces. You want solutions, try a muzzle, worked for me. Something like this., just be sure you don't leave him unsurpervised. I now only have to threaten Brook with "muzzle" and she's off and sulking.

Cool, we had name our three children. Kidding aside she is adorable, congratulations to both of you.

Wow, you've come a long way in a few shorts years Grasshop..., I mean Ron. Seems it wasn't that long ago I remember you catching your first musky. I know this though, your the right man for the job. Jef in a position of responsability, hmmmmmm, who'd of thunk.....

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

My compliments to both of you. Hell if'n I' had a known you was in town Garry I'd of stopped by with a couple of cold ones, my treat.

Is it to late to offer an opinion on this?

....Jerk.

Happy, Happy Birthday Carole. Oh I also caught your name in the recent Ontario out of Doors (Angler Awards, Carole Terashita 45" Salmon), good job.

Belated best wishes Ryan, hope it was a good'n.

2009-2010 Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish now available The 2009-2010 edition of the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish is now available to help anglers decide how much fish they can safely eat from 1,860 bodies of water in the province. This edition of the Guide, the 25th, has added approximately 100 new locations. Fish can be an important and healthy part of anyone’s diet but can contain varying levels of contaminants. The consumption levels recommended in the Guide help anglers and others who consume those fish make healthy choices about fish consumption. The Guide uses Health Canada guidelines to produce useful, easily understood recommendations on how much fish a person should eat, based on meals per month. The recommended consumption levels are divided into two groupings: one for women of child-bearing years and children under 15, and another for the general population. While the Guide does not analyse whether contaminant levels in fish are changing, general trends can be observed. Compared to the last edition of the Guide, the 2009-2010 Guide shows: - A modest improvement for the Great Lakes, with a slight overall decrease in consumption restrictions which results in an increased amount of fish that can be safely consumed. Overall, the consumption restrictions for inland lakes stayed the same; - An evident trend towards lower concentrations of most contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins, mirex, toxaphene and other persistent pesticides. Mercury in the Great Lakes is also generally declining but concentrations from inland lakes appear unchanged in most cases. The Guide is available on the MOE website and at the MNR display at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show March 18 – 22. It will soon be available at selected LCBO stores, bait and tackle outlets, Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire stores, Ontario Travel and Tourism Offices, Service Ontario outlets and other government offices. Copies may also be obtained from: Ministry of the Environment Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program 125 Resources Road Etobicoke, ON M9P 3V6 Website: ontario.ca/fishguide E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (416) 327-6816 or Toll Free 1-800-820-2716 Ministry of the Environment Public Information Centre 135 St. Clair Avenue West Toronto, Ontario M4V 1P5 Tel: 416-325-4000 Or Toll Free1-800-565-4923 Fax: 416-325-3159 E-mail: [email protected]

Great Lakes ice cover shows climate change's existence -- and its complexity March 23, 2009 Michael Scott / The Plain Dealer Looking for some solid evidence that global warming is forcing slow but certain changes on the Great Lakes region? Take a peek inside the freezer: Winter ice cover in the middle of Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes has been diminishing by 1.3 percent a year for three decades. That's more than a 30 percent decline since the 1970s, lake scientists say. But those same scientists affirm that an expansive and long-lasting ice cover this winter -- Lake Superior remained partially frozen early this week -- is evidence that the lakes are also heavily influenced by natural cycles that temper the overall warming trend. Confused? Don't be: The Great Lakes region, home to the largest freshwater lake system on the planet, might also illustrate the complexities and uncertainties about how global climate change affects regional climate. But they also eventually agree that whatever other forces are at work in any given year -- El Nino, La Nina or perhaps this year a dual low-pressure system over Iceland -- the Great Lakes system is also clearly being affected by a warming global climate. "We are seeing the impact of global warming here in the Great Lakes -- but the natural variability is at least as large a factor," said Jia Wang, an ice research climatologist at the GLERL offices. Wang said global climate change and regional climate patterns are competing over the Great Lakes. "No one thing dominates," he said. "That makes it difficult to separate them and find clear signals -- and why some people maybe don't think it is happening. "But it is happening." Less ice and later ice Accurately measuring ice cover across a lake system that spans 94,000 square miles in two countries is no small task, however. Wang, an ocean expert who is fairly new to lake studies, works with and a pair of veteran researchers -- current dean George Leshkevich and the now-retired Ray Assel. Together, they combine data from ships, shore, satellite and sometimes airplanes to create composite ice charts that give them solid ice numbers for nearly half a century. Their combined research tells them this: Despite wild swings in ice cover from year to year, the overall coverage on the lakes is diminishing -- especially in the deepest, middle portions of each lake. In fact, those deep waters hold the key to understanding overall ice loss -- explaining with simple physics why we may not notice ice depreciation along our usually frozen shorelines, particularly in Lake Erie. "The deeper the water, the greater the heat storage from summer, and it freezes later than the shallow areas," Assel said. "Now, increase the air temperature and the lake takes in more heat and stores it longer, to the point that many of the midlake areas are freezing over less." Assel's records bear this out, showing that ice formation at near-shore areas has decreased only 0.65 percent, per year since 1972. But ice on the deepest parts of the lakes has declined more than twice as much, at 1.31 percent per year, on average. Worse, the diminishing ice cover is part of a "negative feedback loop," a cycle where each problem feeds on the other. "With more solar input because of a lack of ice, the deep waters of the lake get warmer," Leshkevich said. "Which leads to less ice cover, which leads to evaporation, which leads to shallower waters, which warm faster ... and so on." Finally, warmer air -- nighttime temperatures in Ohio and across most continental areas have been increasing slightly for decades -- and water temperatures are not only reducing the breadth and thickness of midlake ice, but also how long it lasts. "Ice is forming on average later in season and dissipating earlier in season," said Leshkevich, even taking into account annual fluctuation like this year's heavy ice. "But the trend line shows the downward truth." Problems stem from ice loss And that's not good for the lakes, scientists and environmentalists say. Ice cover generally protects the lakes from significant winter evaporation. Open water, on the other hand, is easily sucked up by colder air above -- which we experience all too often as heavy lake-effect snow. That increased evaporation is also lowering lake levels, however. Some studies, for example, project that Lake Erie could lose up to 15 percent of its surface area over the next 30 years. Here's where it gets tricky again: A smaller Lake Erie would freeze more easily as its increasingly shallow waters would give up heat easily each winter. That could lead to more, not less, ice cover, at least for our lake -- unless climate change affects winter temperatures dramatically over time. Wang said that scenario -- one with an uncertain future -- is a perfect example of how different physical forces are competing on the lake. He also said computer modeling doesn't yet seem to have a good grip on which one will win out in the end -- or if they'll simply remain in tension indefinitely. But there are other potential problems from ice loss here and maybe more so in the other four, deeper Great Lakes. They include: destruction of the eggs of fall-spawning fish by winter waves from an open lake; erosion of coastal areas unprotected by shore ice; and less winter recreation on the lakes such as snowmobiling or ice fishing. There might be one short-term advantage to decreased ice: Shipping may someday be practical through the winter months more often. The locks at Sault Ste. Marie now close each year in mid January and re-open in late March. That's small consolation, however, for shipping companies facing declining profits because they would have to haul less cargo to pass through low-water areas. Ultimately, no one is cheering the lessening of Great Lakes ice cover -- certainly not shippers or ice fishermen, but not even the typically dispassionate scientists. "We're losing ice and that's not good," Leshkevich said. "People can argue whether it's a signal of a warming climate or just natural variability or a combination of both -- but unfortunately, it is happening." Click here to see the full-size graphic (pdf).Mich.

Commission to study Lake Erie Algai Blooms March 25, 2009 / toledoonthemove.com TOLEDO, OH -- The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) will provide grants for four studies that will investigate the causes and impacts of Lake Erie algal blooms, as well as physical habitat distribution within the Lake Erie fishery. Wednesday, Commission members approved the latest round of Lake Erie Protection Fund small grants and targeted priority grants. The grants fund a variety of projects that provide direct benefit to Lake Erie and its tributary watersheds in Ohio. The University of Toledo, Department of Civil Engineering will receive $15,000 for a project to determine the potential sediment contribution to Microcystis (a blue-green algae) bloom formation in the western Lake Erie Basin. Included in the research work, the project will address phosphorus in lake sediment as a potential trigger for algal blooms through resuspension. The Ohio State University, Aquatic Research Laboratory will receive $14,750 to use remotely sensed data - satellite imagery - to help better understand physical habitat distribution in western Lake Erie and its influence on habitat use and recruitment of walleye and yellow perch. Also included is a test of the hypothesis that Maumee River discharge regulates yellow perch recruitment through nursery habitat creation. The research will create a database that will be made available to the research community and public. The Ohio State University Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology will receive $167, 040 for a study about phosphorus load, transport and biological use. Lake Erie appears to be undergoing a period of increasing eutrophication (excess nutrients) and it is unknown if this is due to increased biologically available phosphorus, a change in species ability to use phosphorus or some other related factor. The project will help to determine how dissolved reactive phosphorus and increased Microcystis and Lyngbya (algae) blooms are related and where the blooms initiate. The Ohio State University, Ohio Ag Research & Development Center will receive $74,955 for a two part project. First, an evaluation of soil testing laboratories will be completed using a series of 600 soil tests sent to the twelve laboratories that primarily serve Ohio. The evaluation will focus on the analysis of the submitted samples and the recommendations provided to farmers based on sample results. Second, a data mining will be completed to review testing results for phosphorus and other soil characteristics from the labs. The Lake Erie Protection Fund was established to help finance research and implementation of projects aimed at protecting and preserving Lake Erie and its watershed. The fund is supported by Ohioans each time they purchase a Lake Erie license plate displaying the Marblehead Lighthouse or renew the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse plate as designed by noted Lake Erie artist Ben Richmond. During the past 16 years, the commission has raised more than $9 million and funded more than 275 projects. The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie's natural resources, protecting the quality of its waters and ecosystem and promoting economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development, Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Panel sets Lake Erie Yellow Perch and Walleye Catch Limits April 1, 2009 YPSILANTI, MI – The binational Lake Erie Committee, comprising fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania, last week recommended a 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of 12.012 million pounds of yellow perch and 2.45 million walleye. The yellow perch TAC represents an increase from last year while the walleye TAC represents a decrease. The committee based this recommendation on the current strength of yellow perch stocks in Lake Erie and on the fact that walleye recruitment has been poor or moderate during the previous several years, with the exception of 2003. YELLOW PERCH Stock assessment of yellow perch showed increases in abundance in all areas of Lake Erie relative to 2008. Therefore, the committee recommended an increase in allocation of yellow perch to 12.012 million lbs in 2009 from 10.160 million pounds in 2008. An area-based sharing formula determines the allocation of these fish among the five jurisdictions on the lake. For 2009, Ontario’s allocation is 5.714 million pounds, Ohio’s allocation is 5.277 million pounds, and Michigan’s allocation is 0.186 million pounds. New York and Pennsylvania will receive 0.142 million pounds and 0.693 million pounds respectively. In 2008, actual yellow perch harvest was 8.33 million pounds or 82% of the TAC. A yellow perch management plan is under development and should be completed during 2009. The plan is designed to establish guidelines for yellow perch fishery management in Lake Erie. WALLEYE The Lake Erie Committee set a binational TAC for walleye in 2009 of 2.45 million fish, compared to the TAC of 3.594 million fish in 2008. Actual walleye harvest in 2008 was 2.917 million fish, or 77% of the TAC. The Committee’s Walleye Task Group—comprising scientists and field biologists—reported that walleye hatches had been weak in 2002, 2004, and 2006; below average in 2005 and 2008; and moderate in 2007. The last above-average walleye year class in Lake Erie was the colossal hatch of 2003. The Lake Erie Committee noted that the walleye fishery continues to be reliant on that ever-diminishing 2003 year class. The number of walleye in Lake Erie is expected to decline from 18.4 million fish in 2009 to 15.7 million fish in 2010. Because these abundance levels represent a fishery in “rehabilitation” status, the committee believes the reduced TAC is reflective of the current and projected state of the resource. Lake Erie agencies together monitor the status of walleye spawning and recommend walleye TACs to ensure the future of the fishery. Based on the data collected and interpreted together by the Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions on Lake Erie, the reduced 2009 TAC will allow the agencies to adhere to their objectives of allowing harvest while protecting future spawning and substantially manage the resources. Under a 2009 TAC of 2.45 million fish, Ohio will be entitled to 1.252 million fish, Ontario 1.055 million fish, and Michigan 0.143 million fish. The TAC is recommended by the Lake Erie Committee and is allocated to Ohio, Michigan and Ontario by an area-based sharing formula of walleye habitat within each jurisdiction in the western and central basins of the lake. The walleye fisheries of eastern Lake Erie remain outside the allowable catch management area. BASIS FOR TAC DECISIONS “The walleye and yellow perch fisheries of Lake Erie naturally fluctuate from year to year based on the success of annual spawning and survival,” said Lake Erie Committee chair Mike Morencie of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. “To manage around these fluctuations, the Lake Erie Committee needs to continually monitor the state of the fishery, consider the probable future state, and recommend annual harvest allocations. The committee bases its decisions on a consensus understanding of the science that all jurisdictions collect and evaluate together. All jurisdictions—Canadian and American—are motivated by a desire to allow sport and commercial harvest balanced by a need to take the steps required to ensure future harvest.” “All Lake Erie Committee members remain committed to building and maintaining a close, working relationship with those who depend on the walleye and yellow perch fisheries for food, income, and recreation,” Morencie continued. “Moreover, the members work hard to advise stakeholders about long-term trends in the Lake Erie fishery and how those trends might affect future allocations. For example, the committee is deeply concerned about the frequency of weak walleye year classes during the past decade. The 2003 year class remains the only strong year class present in the fishery. As time goes on without adequate recruitment, future harvest levels will decline. As the committee did last year, we advise constituents that the outlook for higher walleye catch limits is unlikely for the foreseeable future. Although the outlook for the yellow perch fishery is solid for 2009, the committee is cautious about the future strength of that fishery.” Committee vice-chair Bill Culligan of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation added: “The Lake Erie Committee understands how its recommendations relate to the needs and benefits of Lake Erie stakeholders. The committee has placed much emphasis on incorporating the human needs into the decision-making process and will work continually to improve this commitment, through the establishment of a human dimensions task group.” LAKE ERIE COMMITTEE The Lake Erie Committee comprises fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania. The committee’s work is facilitated by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a Canadian and U.S. agency on the Great Lakes. Each year the committee recommends a total allowable catch for walleye and yellow perch. Total allowable catch represents the number of fish that can be caught by sport and commercial fishers without putting the stocks at risk. The individual agencies implement the recommended total allowable catch. For more information, visit the Lake Erie Committee online at www.glfc.org/lec.

Ban on spring perch fishing proposed Closed season would run from April 1 to Victoria Day weekend April 1, 2009 Jim Moodie / www.manitoulin.ca MANITOULIN-If proposed changes to Manitoulin's perch fishery are approved, this date-April 1-will in subsequent years be the start of a closed season for the species that would last until the long weekend in May. Two regulatory changes for yellow perch have been recommended by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in order to "reduce the effect of exploitation," according to a notice posted at the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) registry. These include a closed season from April 1 to the third Saturday in May for all of Manitoulin's inland lakes, including Lake Wolsey, and a reduction of the catch limit to 12 per day for those who possess a conservation licence. The latter stipulation is already in place for Lake Wolsey, which is considered part of a separate management zone. "The proposed closed season will selectively reduce angler exploitation of larger spawning-size perch, hopefully allowing this component of the fishery to rebuild," states the EBR posting. "April and May fishing pressure accounted for a lot of effort historically when populations were higher. Thousands of large spawning-size fish were taken annually, a contributing factor in the decline of the fishery." The proposed adjustment to the conservation limit, meanwhile, "will better reflect the intent of the conservation licence and will match Zone 14 (North Channel) limits, thereby reducing complexity." The changes are part of a broader set of fishing amendments, primarily concerning lake trout, which have been proposed for Zone 10, a sprawling management area that includes Manitoulin. Lake Manitou, the Island's only inland waterbody to host lake trout, will be spared any significant change to its fishery, however, as the MNR has recognized the unique nature of this resource relative to the rest of the management area. While other lakes in the zone stand to have shortened seasons and slot-size restrictions put in place for the sport fish, "the specially designated waters of Manitoulin Island will be managed by exception and will retain the current lake trout open season of January 1 to September 30," reads the MNR proposal. The sole change to affect Manitou would be a reduction in the daily limit of three lake trout, of any size, to two. Jim Sloss, chair of the United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin (UFGCM) and a member of the subcommittee that relays Island concerns to the Zone 10 advisory council, said issues concerning both lake trout and perch were raised at a meeting in March of last year. "We decided on a policy for two things," he said. "One was that Lake Manitou shouldn't have any changes to its lake trout season. And at the same time, we asked for a period of no angling for perch when they're staging to spawn and during the spawning itself." Both requests are reflected in the regulatory proposals now put forth by the MNR, and Mr. Sloss will be particularly gratified if the closed season for perch is implemented, as it's something his group has been advocating for some time. "Perch tend to stage before they spawn, and in April the fish are congregated on the spawning beds," he said. "I don't feel a strong argument can be made for not protecting them at this time, when they are so vulnerable." Should the spring ban on perch fishing become official, Mr. Sloss said it would represent "a precedent for the province," as there is currently no closed season for the species anywhere in Ontario. While numbers of perch could once withstand an April/May harvest on Manitoulin, the population is no longer so robust, in large part due to cormorant predation, said the UFGCM chair. "It's hard to justify taking them out now, with such a low population level," he said. At present, anglers are still permitted to fish for perch at this time of year, as the change in season wouldn't take effect until the spring of 2010, but Mr. Sloss hopes people will still voluntarily hold back from baiting their hooks until the spawning period is complete. "I don't think there's a defensible argument for harvesting perch when they're procreating and concentrated in schools," he said. "They're in a very defined area and will take a minnow because they're trying to drive prey away and protect the spawning." As for the proposed reduction in the lake trout limit from three fish per day to two, Mr. Sloss personally welcomes this move. "I think it's a good thing, and most guys on the United Fish and Game Clubs are not unhappy with it either," he said. "We have a lot of pressure on our fisheries, and will have to take some reductions in order to keep these fisheries." To learn more about the changes proposed for Zone 10, and in particular the specially designated waters of Manitoulin, visit the MNR website at www.mnr.gov.on.ca, or go to the EBR site at www.ebr.gov.on.ca and type registry number 010-6066 in the search field.

Lake Huron level up a foot over last year April 1, 2009 Jim Moodie / www.manitoulin.ca LAKE HURON-The level of Lake Huron is a foot higher than it was last year at this time and nearly two feet higher than it was in 1964. That's quite a turnaround from just two years ago, when the lake dipped to within three inches of its all-time low and many feared a new record for shallowness might be set. As March drew to a close, Lakes Huron and Michigan had risen 31 centimetres (12.2 inches) above last year's measurement for the same date, and were 51 centimetres (20 inches) above their mid-'60s nadir, according to data from the US Army Corps of Engineers. The lakes-which function as one system, being connected by the Straits of Mackinac-are still below average, but only marginally so. As April begins, these big bodies of water are just 23 centimetres, or nine inches, shy of their long-term mean, which is as close as they've been to normal in years. Lake Superior is also on the rise, up 13 centimetres (five inches) from a year ago, and just 15 centimetres (six inches) short of its long-term average for this time of year. This also, of course, bodes well for Lake Huron, as the mighty lake to the northwest contributes a massive amount of H20 to its downstream neighbour via the St. Mary's River. The average annual outflow from Lake Superior into Lake Huron is 2,000 cubic metres-70,600 cubic feet-of water per second. Great Lakes experts credit two snowy winters for an increased supply of water to the basin and a reversal of the dwindling trend experienced through most of this decade. As promising as this is, there remain disconcerting signs that the lakes may not continue to swell over the long run, however, unless climate change and structural issues are addressed. According to a recent story from the Associated Press, scientists affiliated with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are alarmed by shrinking ice cover on the lakes, which in turn leads to lower lake levels due to increased evaporation over the winter months. These researchers say the ice cover on the Great Lakes has shrunk by more than 30 percent since the 1970s, a development that is particularly noticeable in the deepest parts of Huron, Michigan, and Superior. The Georgian Bay Association (GBA), meanwhile, continues to bemoan what it calls "a staggering daily loss" of Lake Huron water through the St. Clair River, which has been deepened and widened by dredging and erosion. In the estimation of the GBA, six billion extra gallons are flushed from Huron each day because of changes over the past two decades to the shipping channel at the lake's outlet. "This represents a 5 percent increase in outflow!" the association charges in its spring newsletter, adding that this is a non-renewable loss of water. The International Joint Commission (IJC) has been examining the St. Clair situation as part of a five-year study of the Upper Great Lakes, and is expected to share its findings in late April, according to the GBA. A public comment period will follow, although it "looks as if there will be only one Georgian Bay public meeting, which will probably be held sometime in June," the association reports. The IJC researchers have acknowledged an increase in conveyance capacity through the St. Clair River, the cottagers' association says, and it is imperative for "everyone who cares about the bay (to) attend the June public meeting and send in written comments in support of encouraging the IJC finally, after 90 years of neglect, to do the right thing."

Well I'd think that is just 'bout everyone here, myself included. Welcome to OFC Don.

Rocket? Hmmmm doesn't look very fast, perhaps one too many birthdays.

Crooks Hollow Dam should go, board told Apr 2, 2009 / The Hamilton Spectator GREENSVILLE Hamilton Conservation Authority officials are urging the authority's board to stick with its decision to remove most of the crumbling Crooks Hollow Dam on Spencer Creek. Prompted by opposition that grew after an environmental assessment was conducted, Flamborough Councillor Robert Pasuta convinced other board members last month to ask staff for an updated report. Kathy Menyes, director of watershed planning and engineering, says in the report e-mailed to board members Monday that repairing the 96-year-old dam and removing sediment behind it would cost at least $400,000 more than removing the concrete structure. Menyes notes the plan is supported by Trout Unlimited, the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The report will be considered at a 7 p.m. meeting today at the authority's headquarters, 838 Mineral Springs Rd., in Ancaster.

Fishing Hotlines/News