About 25 people came out for the April 19 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) open house to preview the latest version of the Fisheries Management Plan for the Minnesota Waters of Lake Superior.
The process began with a public conference in December 2014, and was followed by a series of seven advisory group meetings. Nearly 30 citizens worked with Minnesota DNR Fisheries Management to develop a plan spanning the years of 2016 to 2025. The 130-page plan gives a comprehensive history of fishing in Lake Superior and data on a variety of fish populations. The plan includes proposed actions to be taken to fulfill the DNR Fisheries goal: To protect the Lake Superior ecosystem, rehabilitate and protect its watershed, and manage for a diverse, stable, self-sustaining, fish community that provides recreational, commercial and tribal fishing opportunities.
Steelhead catch and release questioned
Although the turnout wasn’t large and was for the most part civil, concerns were expressed regarding steelhead.
Cory Goldsworthy, Lake Superior fisheries supervisor, explained, “Steelhead declined in the 70s. The goal has been to get to where there is a stable steelhead population. The heyday of the steelhead was when Lake Superior was out of balance.”
The rainbow trout species is being studied via the catch of about 55 anglers in the Duluth area. Nick Peterson of the Lake Superior French River Fisheries said under their permit, these fishermen are collecting scale samples, noting whether it was clipped or not, male or female and recording what river or stream it was caught in.
However, several anglers encouraged the DNR representatives to encourage loosening restrictions on steelhead.
Don Sorlie of Grand Marais said, “I’m a steelhead fisherman. I grew up on it. We live here, but we can’t take our kids down to the river to show them how to do it.”
Another fisherman, Gary Radloff of Grand Marais said, “My concern is the catch and release mortality. I don’t feel you should fight the hell out of a fish and then throw it back.”
Radloff suggested that the DNR establish an incidental kill tag. “You could charge more for that so you could keep a steelhead,” he said.
The proposed plan calls for suspension of stocking steelhead fry and continued catch and release regulations.
No Kamloops for the North Shore
Since steelhead are off-limits for the dinner table, anglers told the DNR that they would like to see Kamloops, another type of rainbow trout, stocked on the North Shore. Radloff said, “Kamloops are never caught here. Don’t we deserve some of the Kamloops?”
Goldsworthy agreed, “Since catch and release was enacted for steelheads, Kamloops have been the thing to catch. They are the harvestable fishery.”
However, he added, “We don’t stock [Kamloops] up here— by design.”
Goldsworthy said hybridization between Kamloops and wild steelhead is a risk, which would result in a weaker steelhead population. “We’re looking at DNA, at the interaction between Kamloops and steelheads. Research shows when genetic introgression occurs, the offspring are not as fit or does not survive. So if the goal is to rebuild the steelhead population, we can’t stock Kamloops.”
Lake trout and herring concerns
Several attendees asked the DNR to do something about the decline in herring, which could lead to a decrease in the number of lake trout.
Joshua Blankenheim of Lake Superior Fisheries, French River, agreed that the crash in herring population is a concern as herring is a prey fish. He said that sampling conducted by the RV Kiyi recorded the herring population as the lowest it has ever been.
One of the citizens at the meeting said the problem was caused by overfishing in Wisconsin, especially during the spawn when the density of fish increases from five herring per hectare to 5,000 per hectare. The increased Wisconsin harvest of herring is due to the market demand for roe.
Blankenheim said that yes, Wisconsin started allowing commercial herring fishing in Wisconsin in 2006, where it is nearly unlimited. The herring fishery is limited in Ontario and Minnesota. In Minnesota the catch is determined by the fisheries technology committee, but only 7 percent of Lake Superior is in Minnesota.
The plan calls for halting the stocking of lake trout on the upper North Shore, because survival of stocked lake trout has declined, while the abundance of wild lake trout has increased for all areas of the shore, according to the DNR.
Commercial fishing questions
There were a few comments about commercial fishermen and the number of fish they are allowed to take. Goldsworthy said, “We have a long history of working with commercial operators, since the 1900s. In the 1940s and ‘50s, DNR started working with commercial fishermen getting eggs, rehabbing the lake trout population after the lamprey. We rely on commercial operators.”
Currently operating in Cook County are fishermen Harley Toftey, Tyler Smith and Treg Axtell.
Goldsworthy stressed that these men are not commercial fishermen, but work for the DNR to provide “expanded assessment.” The total of fish allowed to be taken zone wide in June through September is 3,000. Every fish that is taken by a commercial operator must be tagged before it is brought ashore. Every fish is examined thoroughly. The operator records the weight and length; cuts off the fin clips, guts, and head to send to the state.
“We take the ear bones; look at the bellies. We have the best data of any organization around the lake,” said Goldsworthy.
The plan does not call for any expansion of the expanded assessments.
Comments accepted now
The advisory group included 26 representatives from interested groups such as the Arrowhead Fly Fishers, Izaak Walton League, Kamloops Advocates, Save Lake Superior Association, Trout Unlimited, Western Lake Superior Trollers and more. There were commercial harvesters, tribal and watershed interests, and others. North Shore advisory group participants were Kerrie Berg of Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District; George Wilkes, representing Cook County tourism; Steve Ford, an independent angler; E.J. Isaac, representing the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Captain Darren Peck, North Shore Charter Captain; and Harley Toftey for North Shore Fish Processors.
The plan, which will be finalized this summer, includes history and background on lake trout stocking, data on the effects of climate change, invasive species, fish habitat, water quality and long-range fisheries goals. It is available on the DNR website or electronically by emailing cory.goldsworthy@state.mn.us. The public can comment on the plan until May 8.
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