2016 alewife report

[chessy]

Lake Ontario Stakeholders:

Maintaining the Lake Ontario trophy Chinook salmon fishery depends on having sufficient numbers of alewife to feed them and maintain good Chinook growth. A record-high year class of alewife was produced in 2012 (the 2012 “year class”), however, reduced survival of the 2012 year class did not increase the adult population as managers expected in 2014 when these fish reached age 2. The two severe winters/cool summers of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 resulted in very poor 2013 and 2014 alewife year classes, and the 2012 alewife year class likely makes up the majority of the current adult alewife population in Lake Ontario. The Lake Ontario Committee (“LOC”: Steve LaPan representing the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation [NYSDEC] and Andy Todd representing the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry [OMNRF]) is concerned that without young alewife to replace the adults that are eaten, there may not be sufficient alewife numbers to support trophy Chinook salmon in a few years.
The preliminary results of the spring 2016 bottom trawl survey for alewife conducted by the NYSDEC, the U.S. Geological Survey appear below. Since this is the first year that OMNRF staff conducted alewife trawling, there are no comparable data to compare it to. The NYSDEC/USGS survey provides an index of relative abundance (i.e. how this year’s catch compares to other years; it is not an estimate of actual numbers of alewife in the lake) of both the adult alewife population (fish age 2 and older) and 1 year old or “yearling” alewife (i.e. those fish that were spawned in 2015, or the 2015 “year class”). In Figure 1, please note that adult alewife abundance index declined markedly from 2015 to 2016. Also, the estimate of the relative size of the 2015 alewife year class (i.e. the bar for 2016 in Figure 2) measured at age 1 is well below the 1994-2015 average. Since these fish will contribute to the adult population next year when they are age 2, the LOC does not expect a marked improvement in the adult population in 2017. Our science staff will continue their analyses of these data, and will develop projections of relative alewife abundance in 2017 and beyond.
The LOC’s current concerns are not related to adult alewife abundance in 2016; we will not be surprised if fishing is excellent in 2016, and Chinook size is good as well. Our concerns surround the adult alewife spawning population in 2017 and beyond. Since a large portion of the adult alewife population should be composed of fish ages 3 - 5, the LOC expects several years in the immediate future when the size of the alewife population will be greatly reduced. The LOC has asked the Lake Ontario Technical Committee to work together and provide the LOC with an assessment of the relative risks associated with a range of management options this summer.
Best regards,
Steve LaPan, Great Lakes Section Head, NYSDEC
Andy Todd, Manager, Lake Ontario Management Unit, OMNRF

[esoxansteel]

Great read Jason, even if its not roses, but it goes to show how delicate things in nature are, and things can go from good to bad, or bad to good in a New York minute, lots of Chinooks with no Alewives to pack on the weight, will mean stunted fish, which has happened before, and usually forces fish out of there preferred temp zone, where the Alewives are to seek out other sources of food

[chessy]

chinooks are the only ones that will not seek out other food sources .. they will starve to death first... so if the chinook go the trout and cohos will thrive

[misfish]

Ok heres the stupid question of the day,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

Alewife hatchery?

 

I know it,s a stupid question BUT, we seem to get involved with mother nature in helpping reproducing chins,rainbows,atlantics. Why not help with the feed they need?

[Old Ironmaker]

Does anyone old enough from Hamilton remember when the Beach Strip on Lake Ontario would have a foot deep of dead rotting Smelt on it every year? You could start to smell them when you got to the end of Woodward Ave. When I was a youngster we would go to the pier and dip net as many Smelt as the station wagon could hold. Then the Salmon were introduced into the Lake and the Smelt disappeared. Find the bait, find the fish. A bait farm? Thinking outside the box, I like that.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[Old Ironmaker]

Ok heres the stupid question of the day,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

Alewife hatchery?

 

I know it,s a stupid question BUT, we seem to get involved with mother nature in helpping reproducing chins,rainbows,atlantics. Why not help with the feed they need?

I like that, thinking outside the box Brian.

[captpierre]

Does anyone old enough from Hamilton remember when the Beach Strip on Lake Ontario would have a foot deep of dead rotting Smelt on it every year? You could start to smell them when you got to the end of Woodward Ave. When I was a youngster we would go to the pier and dip net as many Smelt as the station wagon could hold. Then the Salmon were introduced into the Lake and the Smelt disappeared. Find the bait, find the fish. A bait farm? Thinking outside the box, I like that.

I remember those days at Sunnyside beach in Toronto.

Mega smell and flies.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that the main reason they introduced the Pacific Salmon?

For alewife control.

And are they native? Thought they weren't.

[dave524]

Ok heres the stupid question of the day,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

Alewife hatchery?

 

I know it,s a stupid question BUT, we seem to get involved with mother nature in helpping reproducing chins,rainbows,atlantics. Why not help with the feed they need?

When Howard Tanner first introduced the Pacific Salmon to the great lakes almost 50 years ago it was to control the alewive population and the massive dieoffs every year. We are nearing the conclusion of a successful experiment. We will never again have the numbers or size of salmon that we had during the glory years . An alewife hatchery would be a step backwards, makes as much sense as introducing Gobies to inland lakes as they help produce big Smallies.

[misfish]

When Howard Tanner first introduced the Pacific Salmon to the great lakes almost 50 years ago it was to control the alewive population and the massive dieoffs every year. We are nearing the conclusion of a successful experiment. We will never again have the numbers or size of salmon that we had during the glory years . An alewife hatchery would be a step backwards, makes as much sense as introducing Gobies to inland lakes as they help produce big Smallies.

 

Why I asked dave.

 

I wasnt sure.

 

I can tell you, I remember like it was yesterday, smelt fishing at the four sisters with my pop and uncle when there was a wooden warfh at the out flow. There were nights they couldnt lift the nets.(but they all managed to lift a jug or two. LOL) I was only a young gaffer then and knew nothing about the fishery then. I just know there were so many smelts back then. Ya,many hours cleaning when I woke up in the moring. Will never forget or regret it though.

[chessy]

alewives are a invasive species .. the chinook did what they were put in to do .. wipe them out

[wallacio]

Does anyone old enough from Hamilton remember when the Beach Strip on Lake Ontario would have a foot deep of dead rotting Smelt on it every year? You could start to smell them when you got to the end of Woodward Ave. When I was a youngster we would go to the pier and dip net as many Smelt as the station wagon could hold. Then the Salmon were introduced into the Lake and the Smelt disappeared. Find the bait, find the fish. A bait farm? Thinking outside the box, I like that.

 

It wasn't Smelt that died off in huge numbers that fouled beaches in the 70's...it was Alewife.

[porkpie]

I remember ashbridges bay being littered with dead alewife as far as you could see. I used to walk down there with my uncle whenever I'd go down to the city for a visit. Cohos and rainbow are all good with me. I've had my fill of the chinook fishery, both from the boat and on the river!

Edited June 8, 2016 by porkpie

[brw]

On a semi-related note, can anyone chime in as to the huge decline in the alewife population on Georgian Bay? From about 2009 or so to the present, they've been non-existent. From the mid 70's until then, they were thick as thieves, especially at night. It was like a flip was switched and they just disappeared. Thanks to all who respond.

[Old Ironmaker]

It wasn't Smelt that died off in huge numbers that fouled beaches in the 70's...it was Alewife.

This was the early 60's and they were Smelt. We never ate Alewife.

[Canuck]

Zebra and quagga mussels in Georgian Bay and elimination of phosphates took away the food source for alewife and smelt in the bay.

[wallacio]

Zebra and quagga mussels in Georgian Bay and elimination of phosphates took away the food source for alewife and smelt in the bay.

 

Exactly. This article summarizes the Alewife decline (and subsequent Chinook crash) in Lake Huron that occurred since 2003. As alluded to in the OP, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Lake Ontario Chinook fishery suffer the same fate in the immediate future as the warning signs are already there.

 

http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/23602-lake-huron-s-chinook-salmon-fishery-unlikely-to-recover-due-to-ongoing-food-shortage

[dave524]

This was the early 60's and they were Smelt. We never ate Alewife.

 

The ones we dip net in early spring back then were not the same as the ones that died off. We ate the long thin smelts, the dead ones were a much deeper bodied fish.

[captpierre]

Looks like we all need to head to a pier and pee into the Great Lakes. ?

[AKRISONER]

cant say that artificially sustaining a non native population is the way to go.

 

Let the chinooks die off with the alewife just like they did on georgian bay.

 

Hopefully populations of cisco and subsequent native lake trout and maybe even atlantics? will experience a population explosion.

[misfish]

cant say that artificially sustaining a non native population is the way to go.

 

Let the chinooks die off with the alewife just like they did on georgian bay.

 

Hopefully populations of cisco and subsequent native lake trout and maybe even atlantics? will experience a population explosion.

 

The chinock or the alewife ?

[Old Ironmaker]

The ones we dip net in early spring back then were not the same as the ones that died off. We ate the long thin smelts, the dead ones were a much deeper bodied fish.

Those were them Dave. Long thin smelts. Were the dead fish Alewife? I stand corrected then and have learned something new today. My cousins that lived on the Beach Strip in the early to mid 60's always talked about the dead "Smelt". Why such a huge die off?

Edited June 8, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[dave524]

Those were them Dave. Long thin smelts. Were the dead fish Alewife? I stand corrected then and have learned something new today. My cousins that lived on the Beach Strip in the early to mid 60's always talked about the dead "Smelt". Why such a huge die off?

 

Guess it has to do with large temperature changes

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/Home/Topics/FishSpecies/Details.aspx?PostID=362

[AKRISONER]

 

The chinock or the alewife ?

 

both...they both are not native and another fishery exists without both of their existences. the amount of browns and bows i see people catching in the area, the fishery will survive without the salmons.

 

Dunno if the steelhead would be so prominent though if the salmon are no longer running the rivers en masse? anyone care to comment on that?

 

Regardless I can honestly say we are approaching a day and age where the resources that were once so ridiculously abused are finally beginning to turn the corner after years of wreckless fishing and pillaging,

 

Populations of native fish are on the increase for the most part and the tight restrictions on catch and keep is whats creating the turn around. keep the regs tight, the pollution down and the poachers and commercial fishers away and things will fix themselves.

 

And please dont misinterpret my comment as anti fishing propaganda, please go experience the fishery, it just might not be for a non native species. Catch a lot, keep the odd one, but most importantly enjoy and practice good conservation on the fishery.

Edited June 8, 2016 by AKRISONER

[John Bacon]

 

both...they both are not native and another fishery exists without both of their existences. the amount of browns and bows i see people catching in the area, the fishery will survive without the salmons.

 

Dunno if the steelhead would be so prominent though if the salmon are no longer running the rivers en masse? anyone care to comment on that?

 

Regardless I can honestly say we are approaching a day and age where the resources that were once so ridiculously abused are finally beginning to turn the corner after years of wreckless fishing and pillaging,

 

Populations of native fish are on the increase for the most part and the tight restrictions on catch and keep is whats creating the turn around. keep the regs tight, the pollution down and the poachers and commercial fishers away and things will fix themselves.

 

And please dont misinterpret my comment as anti fishing propaganda, please go experience the fishery, it just might not be for a non native species. Catch a lot, keep the odd one, but most importantly enjoy and practice good conservation on the fishery.

 

Browns and bows are not native either.

Edited June 8, 2016 by JohnBacon

[misfish]

From the amount of salmon I seen last year and the year before, on 4 tribes of GBAY, and the size of them, they are eating well and numbers were very good. On one tribe, I counted over 50 pair, spawning in a short stretch. A few 100 ft down from them, pairs again, in the same numbers,

 

Now if we could get the snaggers off the tribs, that would probly add a few thousand saved and millions of fry born.

 

So from what I have seen, there has to be a good food source for them out there.