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Workshops, Meetings Scheduled to Discuss Status of Lake Huron Fishery The status and future of Lake Huron's fishery are the topics of a series of workshops being conducted in April by Michigan Sea Grant, in cooperation with the Michigan State University Extension Service and the Department of Natural Resources. Two, day-long workshops will provide in-depth analysis of some of the major fisheries and food web concerns in Lake Huron, while a series of evening meetings will serve as a shorter version of the daytime workshops. "The Lake Huron fishery has undergone marked changes in recent years," said Dave Borgeson, Northern Lake Huron unit supervisor for the DNR's Fisheries Division. "The invasion of exotic aquatic species and the near absence of the Chinook salmon's preferred prey, the alewife, have greatly altered the lake's food web. These workshops and meetings give all stakeholders a chance to sit down and discuss these changes and the future of the lake's fishery." The day-long workshops will feature the latest research and information related to the changing Lake Huron fishery. These meetings will be: * 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Oscoda Yacht Club located at 430 S. State Street in Oscoda. Registration for the day-long workshops is $12 in advance or $15 at the door, and includes lunch. The workshops are open to the public, and Borgeson especially encourages charter captains, anglers and resource professionals interested in the future of the fishery on Lake Huron to attend one of the workshops. Three evening meetings, which will be shorter versions of the workshops, also will be held. These meetings are free and open to the public as well. They include: * 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 at McMorran Place (next to the ice arena) located at 701 McMorran Boulevard in Port Huron. This meeting will be hosted as part of the Blue Water Sportfishing Association's regular meeting; * 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 20 at Alpena Community College in Alpena; * 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 21 at the Cheboygan Sportsmen's Club located at 13516 Seffern Road in Cheboygan. One of the major issues to be addressed at these sessions will be the future of the Chinook salmon fishery on Lake Huron. Borgeson said Chinook salmon have been naturally reproducing in increasing numbers in Lake Huron, with fish of wild origin now greatly outnumbering the Chinook of hatchery origin. For more details on the workshops and meetings, contact Michigan Sea Grant at 989-984-1060, or visit their Web site at www.miseagrant.umich.edu/workshops/huron-fisheries_wrksp.html. The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations. Source: MDNR |