During a series of 17 public meetings, anglers and others can give their opinions about proposed 2020 changes to special fishing regulations for 30 lakes.
In Cook County, (Grand Marais area fisheries): a public meeting will be held to discuss removing special northern pike regulations on Little Cascade and Loon lakes, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, Cook County Community Center, 317 W. 5th St., Grand Marais.
These proposed changes are coming from 13 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources area fisheries offices. These regulations are designed to help meet fisheries objectives for particular lakes and would be different from the regulations that apply statewide or to major zones of the state.
“Lots of folks don’t realize how important it is for us to have Minnesotans’ perspectives integrated into our fish management goals,” said Jon Hansen, DNR fisheries programs consultant. “Public input and engagement are central to helping us work with Minnesotans to effectively manage fisheries.”
For example, public input could lead to a specific fish population objective, such as increasing pike sizes, Hansen explained. The DNR can propose regulations to achieve that objective, and anglers and others can share their thoughts about the proposal.
Fisheries staff spends much of their time collecting data on fish populations, which tells whether a management objective is being met. Then, the DNR responds to these data by proposing to change a regulation or keep it the same.
Leave a Reply