Weekly News Archives

                         or

       New Product  Archives

Lake Huron Fishing Club egg-taking success

The Lake Huron Fishing Club reports the successful collection of 170,000 salmon eggs from the Mill Dam in Owen Sound.  This year�s eggs are bigger than they have been in the

last two years. They also milked fish that where over 25 Lbs. which raises the question "where do they hide when we're out there fishing?"  Their Trout Hatchery presently holds 45,000 browns and 75,000 rainbow trout to care for.

Coast Guard has final hearing

STURGEON BAY, WI - The Coast Guard concluded all nine of the scheduled public hearing concerning the creation of 34 safety zones on the Great Lakes.   The last one was held on November 7, in Sturgeon Bay, WI. About 750 people attended the nine meetings and more than 550 comments have been submitted to the docket. 

Chuck Weier, president of the Wisconsin Federation of Great Lakes Sport Fishing Clubs and a representative of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council, testified at the hearing saying he worries about terrorism someday exploding onto the shores of Lake Michigan. He said many of the 4,000 members of his group favor live fire exercises, because �we don't live in the same world we lived in 10 years ago, before 9-11.�

�We have nuclear power plants on the shore. You don't know when the Coast Guard is going to have to be called to defend 

those,� said James Tibbetts, a retired Sturgeon Bay surgeon and a fisherman.

Gus Wulfkuhle, chief of enforcement for the Ninth Coast Guard District, said crews would scan a 10-mile range of open water between radar and visual lookouts on deck during training exercises. �We would stop the exercise if someone strays into that area,� he said. �We won't say, �Oh well, it's a safety zone.�'

James Maughan, a water resource specialist with CH2M Hill out of Boston whose firm was hired by the Coast Guard to conduct environmental analysis and risk assessment, said the company has concluded the bullets would not elevate risks for humans or the environment.

If you still wish to submit comment to the docket, do so through Nov. 13.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Nov. 10, 2006

Lake Level Conditions:

Lake Superior is currently 12 inches lower than it was a year ago, while Lake Michigan-Huron is at the same level as it was this time last year.  Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are all higher than the previous year.  Currently, all of the lakes are in their period of seasonal decline.  Over the next month, the levels in Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are projected to fall 2 inches, and the levels in Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie are expected to decline 3 inches. Lake Ontario is predicted to drop 5 inches.  Over the next few months, Lake Superior is expected to remain well below last year�s levels, while Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are predicted to remain near or slightly above the water levels of a year ago. 

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions:

The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is expected to be below average in November.  Flows in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers also are expected to be below average during November.  Flow in the Niagara River, as well as the St. Lawrence River is expected to be above average.

Alerts:

Due to abnormally dry conditions over the last five months, 

Lake Superior is currently below chart datum and is expected to remain below datum through April. Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Lake Huron Fishing Club egg-taking success

The Lake Huron Fishing Club reports the successful collection of 170,000 salmon eggs from the Mill Dam in Owen Sound.  This year�s eggs are bigger than they have been in the

last two years. They also milked fish that where over 25 Lbs. which raises the question "where do they hide when we're out there fishing?"  Their Trout Hatchery presently holds 45,000 browns and 75,000 rainbow trout to care for.

NRC will consider fish and wildlife rules Nov 14

The DNR has proposed several new administrative rule changes for the Natural Resources Commission to consider for preliminary adoption on Nov. 14. The NRC will also consider additional wildlife-related rule proposals for final adoption.

The DNR has proposed extending the one buck rule for another five years, with the ending date of September 1, 2012, as a result of the support from deer hunters. At the meeting, DNR biologists will present the results of a recent deer hunter survey as well as deer harvest data. For more info: www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/hunt/ 

The one buck rule refers to current deer hunting regulations that allow only one antlered deer to be taken per hunter per year with regular archery, firearm, and muzzleloader licenses. The rule was implemented in the fall of 2002 and has an expiration date of Sept. 1, 2007. Before 2002, up to two bucks could be taken by a hunter each year.

In addition to the one buck rule proposal, the DNR has also proposed permanent rule changes to allow handguns on DNR properties if the individual has a valid handgun license for personal protection. Proposals also include allowing individuals to carry a handgun while hunting deer and turkey, and while chasing raccoons. These changes are already in

effect as temporary rule modifications signed by DNR Director Kyle Hupfer.

If the NRC gives preliminary adoption to the rule proposals, a public hearing would take place next year and opportunity will also be given to send comments to the Natural Resources Commission via e-mail and written letter.

To view the proposed rule language, go to: www.in.gov/nrc/ 

Click on the "November Commission Meeting" and view agenda items 7 and 8.

The NRC will also consider additional rule changes for final adoption at the meeting in November, including an extension of the eastern cottontail rabbit season and squirrel season and removal of Madison from the list of urban deer zones. A few other technical changes were made to the list of native reptiles and amphibians and game breeder license rule.

Click on the "November Commission Meeting" and view agenda item 13. If the rule changes are given final adoption by the NRC and approved by the Attorney General's Office and Governor, they will become law early next year. The NRC meeting will be held Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. (EST) in the Garrison Conference Center at Ft. Harrison State Park in Indianapolis. The meeting is open to the public.

State confirms fish disease in two more NY lakes

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) � Testing has confirmed a deadly disease among fish in two more New York lakes following an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Relatively common in continental Europe and Japan, the virus causes internal bleeding in fish but is believed to pose no threat to humans. It now has been confirmed in eastern Lake Erie and Conesus Lake in western New York, where small groups of dead fish washed up on shore, the DEC said.

VHS first was confirmed in New York in May, linked to the death of thousands of fish in eastern Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, including many round gobies and some muskellunge. More recently, it killed walleye in Conesus Lake.

The virus has been confirmed also in burbot, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, rock bass, bluntnose minnow and emerald shiner in infected New York waters, though it was not clear whether this virus strain will affect trout and salmon, the agency said.   Other New York waterways will be tested as well, DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said.

The DEC warned against taking fish from one lake to another, noting it's illegal without a permit, and said bait fish should be used only in the water they came from.

On Oct. 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibited importing from Ontario and Quebec and interstate movement of live fish from eight states bordering the Great Lakes, including New York, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

WI to hold hearings on tournaments Nov - 8, 9, 14, 15

Written comments will be accepted until Nov 17

The Wisconsin DNR will hold public hearings on the creation of � NR 20.40, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to regulation of fishing tournaments in inland, outlying and boundary waters of Wisconsin.  Two have already been held in Green Bay and Sturtevant.

Wisconsin regulations requires the department to promulgate rules to establish a program to authorize and regulate fishing tournaments. Under the proposed rules, new fishing tournament permit requirements are established so that if a fishing tournament consists of 20 boats or 100 participants or targets trout on classified trout streams or is a live release tournament with an off-site weigh-in or has prizes of $10,000 or more, a permit from the department is required.

If none of those criteria are met, no permit is required. Fishing tournament permit fees are established to cover the cost of the program, estimated to be $76,000 annually, which includes permit application review and approval, catch report review, database entry, law enforcement, and data collection. In addition fees will include an additional $18,000 for five years to recover the cost of the bass fishing tournament pilot program.

Two alternatives for fee structures will be presented at public hearings. The first alternative seeks to collect $94,000 annually by charging tournament organizers permit application fees ranging from $200 to $850 based on the size of the tournament. The second alternative seeks to collect fishing tournament permit application fees from organizers and annual fishing tournament participant permits from open-water tournament participants.

Permit application fees for organizers would range from $50 to $475 based on tournament size and $10 for each participant permit. These estimates assume 400 fishing tournament permits annually and 5,500 open water fishing tournament participants. This rule establishes a permit application process by which the department will accept applications for permits from August 1 through Sept. 30 each year. Applications received during that period that result in limits on the number of tournaments on a water being exceeded will be subjected to a lottery for the date and location.

Prior to the lottery drawing, organizers will be informed and

offered an opportunity to modify their application to a date or location where limits have not been reached. Limits on the size and number of fishing tournaments are proposed in this rule. Limits on lakes vary depending on lake size and are based on public access standards set forth in s. NR 1.91(5)(b), Wis. Adm. Code. Limits on the Mississippi River are similar to those in place in Minnesota. The rule prohibits live release fishing tournaments during July and August.

The rule also establishes other requirements of tournament organizers, including requiring a plan for disposal of dead fish and for preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species. Penalties are included for tournament organizers that do not comply with their plans. The rule establishes other general provisions related to fishing tournament format, fish holding and handling. It is not anticipated that the proposed rule will have an economic impact on small businesses. Department staff have made a preliminary determination that this action does not involve significant adverse environmental effects and does not need an environmental analysis under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code.

However, based on the comments received, the Department may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with the proposal. This environmental review document would summarize the Department�s consideration of the impacts of the proposal and reasonable alternatives. The proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted through the State of Wisconsin Administrative Rules Web site.

 Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Patrick Schmalz, Bureau of Fisheries Mgmt and Habitat Protection, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Comments may be submitted until Nov. 17, 2006. Written comments whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearings. For more information contact Patrick Schmalz at - (608) 266-8170.

The remaining hearings will begin at 7 p.m. on the following dates at the location listed:

Nov 14, Spooner � Spooner Agricultural Research Station, W6646 Highway 70

Nov 15, Rhinelander � Theater, Nicolet Technical College, County Highway G

Hearing on commercial fishing for Sturgeon Nov 15

Written comments will be received until Nov 24

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on November 15 on revisions to the WI Administrative Code, relating to commercial fishing for sturgeon in the Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters at 11:30 a.m. in the County Board Room of the Crawford Cty Courthouse, 220 N. Beaumont St., Prairie du Chien.

The proposed rule changes the legal size of commercially harvestable shovelnose sturgeon in Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters from 25" or more in length, to 27" or more, but less than 32" in �fork length,� which is defined as the distance measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout to the innermost portion of the fork in the tail of a fish.  The proposed rule also prohibits the removal of roe from commercial fish while on the water, bank or shore and prohibits cleaning or processing of fish until the fish reach the final processing facility or place of business of the commercial fisher. The proposed rules may have an impact on small businesses.

The initial regulatory flexibility analysis is as follows: a. Types of small businesses affected: Commercial fishing interests that currently operate in Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters and harvest shovelnose sturgeon will be affected by this rule. These operations typically comprise fewer than 5 employees. In 2005, fewer than 5 commercial fishers harvested and sold shovelnose sturgeon flesh or roe in Wisconsin. b. Description

of reporting and bookkeeping procedures required: Not applicable. c. Description of professional skills required: Not applicable

DNR staff have made a preliminary determination that this action does not involve significant adverse environmental effects and does not need an environmental analysis under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code. However, based on the comments received, the DNR may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with the proposal. This environmental review document would summarize the Department�s consideration of the impacts of the proposal and reasonable alternatives.

The proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted through the State of Wisconsin Administrative Rules Web site. Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Ron Benjamin, Wisconsin DNR, 3550 Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse, WI 54601.

Comments may be submitted until Nov. 24, 2006. Written comments whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearing. A personal copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Rob Benjamin. For more information contact Ron Benjamin at (608) 785-9012.

Ontario takes aim at cormorants

A private member's bill that would permit hunting of double-crested cormorants in Ontario has drawn the ire of some conservation groups and the interest of Leeds-Grenville MP Bob Runciman, who has been calling for a local cull of the bird for a couple of years.

Bill 156, which passed first reading at the provincial legislature Oct. 30, is an amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, which currently protects the fish-eating cormorant after it nearly died off as a result of pesticide use in the 1950s.  But the bird population has increased steadily since the 1990s and Ernie Parsons, the Liberal MPP for Prince Edward Hastings, who sponsored the bill, said it's time to treat cormorants like other nuisance birds such as crows.

Parsons told The Recorder and Times last week that fishing charters and tourist operators in his riding have suffered because fish are being depleted by cormorants, which each eat a pound of fish every day. Moreover, the birds denude trees and vegetation where they nest and deposit untold amounts of droppings that is washed into the water table, he said.

Parsons said culling efforts to control the population of the 

cormorant at Presqu'ile, which is in his riding, have failed. Moreover, the number of cormorants is growing fast and they are spreading their wings over parts of the province.  He said the cormorant population in Prince Edward-Hastings has grown from zero to about 75,000 birds. "You take 75,000 cormorants and you take one pound of fish per bird per day ... they're the major consumer of fish," said Parsons.

Cormorants are now seen as far north as Kenora and are common around Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and even Algonquin Park where they didn't nest before their numbers declined so dramatically, he said.

Treating them like other nuisance birds, which may be hunted, won't endanger the species, he said.  "Have we wiped out the crows in Ontario?"

Runciman noted the cormorant is creating "significant challenges" for the commercial and sport fishing industry on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and claimed the birds eat 42 million pounds of fish each year.  He noted, as well, that the bird droppings are toxic and contribute to the devastation of habitat and threaten water supplies and beaches.

New fishing regulations for 2007 delayed

2005-2006 Fishing Regulations Remain In Place

TORONTO � Anglers should continue to follow the 2005-2006 Fishing Regulations until the 2007-2008 Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations are released, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay said today.

�Anglers should keep their copy of the 2005-2006 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary and continue to follow those rules,� said Ramsay. �We have been working on significant changes to the fishing regulations, but they will not be in place by January 1, 2007.�

Federal approval of the new fishing regulations is still pending. Anglers will be advised when the new regulations have been finalized through the news media and the ministry�s website. In the interim, the current regulations will remain in effect and anglers should continue to follow the

2005-2006 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary until further notice.

The planned regulation changes for 2007 are part of the ministry�s new ecological framework for recreational fisheries management in Ontario announced last year. This includes managing fisheries on a zone basis rather than on an individual lake basis and reducing the number of fishing divisions to 20 zones from 37. The new Fisheries Management Zones are based on ecological and social factors and easy-to-find boundaries.

�The new regulations better meet the needs of anglers, and help ensure the health and sustainability of the province�s fish populations,� added Ramsay.

The redesigned fishing regulations summary and better maps will make the new rules easier to understand.

Ontario proposes new Lake Trout regs � comments due Jan 2, 2007

 Regulatory Guidelines for Managing the Lake Trout Recreational Fishery in Ontario are part of a co-ordinated initiative to protect Ontario Lake Trout populations.

The report describes the regulatory options for the management of lake trout in Ontario (see web-link below). The options are based on a review of current literature on the effectiveness of various regulations for managing lake trout, recent scientific knowledge and recent monitoring and assessment efforts. The options presented here build on the science and management recommendations from the Lake Trout Synthesis and other lake trout management plans. The recommendations in this tool kit represent a combination of management strategies designed to protect lake trout populations from over-exploitation while, where possible, minimizing reductions in angling opportunities.

The lake trout is the only major, indigenous recreational fish species in Ontario that is adapted to oligotrophic lakes (i.e., lakes with low levels of nutrients, high dissolved oxygen levels, and typically deep areas with very cold water). Its slow growth, late maturity, low reproductive potential and slow replacement rate make it a unique species in the province. It is an important component of Ontario�s rich biodiversity, because of the unique character of the species and the unique gene pools of many of its individual stocks.

The lake trout is a sensitive species that is adapted to a narrow range of environmental conditions. It is an excellent indicator of the health of the fragile aquatic ecosystems of which it is a part.

Lake trout lakes are rare. Only about one percent of Ontario�s lakes contain lake trout, but this represents 20-25% of all lake trout lakes in the world. The province, therefore, has a great responsibility to manage them wisely.

There has been a general decline in both the quality of the sport fishery for lake trout and in lake trout habitat in many lakes. Lake trout, and lake trout lakes, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of human activities, including exploitation, enrichment from cottage septic systems and

other sources of nutrient enrichment, acidification, species introductions, and habitat destruction. Because of their high sensitivity to disturbance, special protection is required for these lakes and their lake trout populations. Approximately 5% of the province's lake trout populations have already become extinct.

The province is seeking to identify the most effective regulatory options to ensure sustainability for lake trout in Ontario based on existing science and current knowledge, and to simplify, where possible, regulations which are ultimately selected, including:

� making the fishing regulations in Ontario easier to understand;

� increasing compliance by anglers;

� removing possible barriers to fishing due to complex fishing regulations; and

� providing a more consistent approach to managing fisheries on a broad scale

Direct your Comments to:

Warren Dunlop, Senior Aquatic Ecologist

MNR Fish and Wildlife Branch, Fisheries Section

300 Water St.

Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 8M5

PHONE: (705) 755-5944  FAX: (705) 755-1957

Be sure to reference the EBR Registry Number: PB06E6003

EBR Registry Number: PB06E6003

Title:  Proposal for Regulatory Guidelines for Managing the Lake Trout Recreational Fishery in Ontario

Comment Period:  between November 2, 2006 and January 2, 2007 (61 days)

Short-cut:  www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/027078ep.htm  

EBR Registry Number: PB06E6030

Title:  Guidelines for Managing the Recreational Fishery for Brook Trout in Ontario

Comment Period:  between November 2, 2006 and January 2, 2007 (61 days)

Short-cut: www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/028684ep.htm