DNR to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Lake Huron Chinook Issues, Stocking
 

Contact: Tammy Newcomb , Mary Dettloff 517-373-3960 or 517-335-3014

August 10, 2005
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Saginaw Valley State University to discuss the Chinook salmon fishery in Lake Huron. The meeting will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall on the SVSU campus located in 7400 Bay Road in University Center.

“Research and angler catch surveys show that Chinook salmon are much smaller and harder to find in Lake Huron than in past years,” said Acting Assistant Chief of the DNR Fisheries Division Tammy Newcomb. “The abundance of prey fish that are eaten by game fish is at very low levels, similar to 1998. The scientists are uncertain if this large reduction in prey fish is due to a major change in the food web of the lake as a result of an aquatic invasive species or if it is a temporary imbalance between predators and prey.”

As a result, Newcomb said the DNR, along with the Lake Huron Citizens’ Advisory Committee, is recommending a 50 percent reduction in the number of Chinook salmon stocked in Lake Huron to try to restore balance between the number of salmon and their prey and in turn improve the Chinook salmon fishery. Newcomb added that there is good news in Lake Huron - walleye and lake trout are doing very well in the lake this year and look good for the coming years.

The meeting will feature an informational session on the current status of Chinook salmon and other species in Lake Huron and also provide for a public comment period. Newcomb encouraged anglers to attend, “This is a great opportunity to get questions answered and be part of the public process for fishery management.”
 

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources
for current and future generations
 

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