|
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Troubled Waters Part 2. More doom and gloom
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec04/285202.asp
The above link goes to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel series about the Lake Michigan problems. I’m sure that many of you think that you could care less because you do not fish any of the Great Lakes. Personally, I think we ALL should be concerned. We are learning more and more that the invasive species that get into the Great Lakes also find their way to other waters. We’re all in this together!
I was totally amazed about the number of invasive species in the Great Lakes, the number that continue to colonize (1 every 8 months) and the loss of diporea. Add this to the fact that in 1977 there were only 75 known cormorant nests in the area compared to 28,000 in 1997. We are in real trouble!!!
As sportsmen/women we need to be aware and we need to have a strong voice in possible solutions/remedies. It’s time for us to unite and work together making our legislators aware of our concerns instead of pitting ourselves against each other on things like walleye stocking and the trout and salmon quota’s. If we do not stand up and try to get agencies working for a common solution, who will?
More doom and gloom. The first step is for everyone who loves to fish becoming aware of the problems and possible solutions. We need help!
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 185
Location: Port Washington, wisconsin | Very true. Invasive species continue to plague our great lakes. Next in line, the Asian carp. The nail in the cofin! Visit the Great lakes sport Fishing Council to see how you can help. They are looking for donations to build and support the barriers currently under construction. These fish will put an end to all of it! |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | If any species (invasive or otherwise) that can roam the entire water column, and are not controlled by limited mortality cycles (like the salmon are), finds their way into a habitat so rich and friendly (like the alewife did), they could indeed spell an ecological collapse for virtually all the great lakes.
We can control to a certain extent, the color of the paint used on Natures Canvas, but the brush is still in her hands, even when the wrong colors get used. So far these paintings have found favor, sold and supported our habbits. When the color choices are taken out of our hands (like they have been lately) boys, It's over. 
Edited by walleye express 12/19/2004 2:53 PM
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 617
Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin | The really nasty part about the invasives in LM is that so few people are learning by the mistakes made there - case and point, the push to open the Locks on the Fox River and, in all likelyhood, bring the gobie et.al to lake Winnebago. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | I agree that few people are learning by the mistakes made on the Great Lakes. We may already have countless invasive species' like the zebra muscle in our inland lakes. I'm amazed that the federal government has been sleeping in regard to the ballast discharge of ships.
And, what about the asian carp? How do we know that the electical barrier is keeping them out? Too little too late?
Captian Dan, I agree that some of the fish species are trying to adapt and eat the gobies BUT it can not be very healthy for them as indicated in the article with the whitefish. The article says that the gobie is shreading the stomachs. I have also caught sheephead with major hemroid problems because they were eating zebra muscles. Not a pretty sight. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 185
Location: Port Washington, wisconsin | More gloom. From an environmentalist, relentlessly working on the Asian carp barrier in Illinois, he has said that the huge barges that are pushed thru that area, with such incredible force, will most likely pull the Asian carp right along with them thru the barrier intended to stop them.
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Dennis.
I actually didn't read the article. I was just making an all-around statement concerning invasives. Each one that comes in and sets up shop, seems to put pressure on, or take the (food chain) place of, either an existing specie or another invasive one, who was here before it.
But some only in certain parts of the water column. Zebra Mussels, even though free floating at birth, are confined to the bottom strata. Whereas Gobi's, ruffes and the mired of other swimming invaders, in their own capacity, can (in most cases) take full advantage of the whole ecosystem from top to bottom. Every fish specie in the Great Lakes has a preferred foraging zone and a preferred forage prey keeping them sustainable. This (believe it or not) does make a big difference in the aquatic world and how each different species keeps it balanced.
Lake Huron's Salmon population has been starving the last two years because their preferred prey the Alewife, has been in severe decline these last two season. This in part, has been due to the severe winters we've had two years in a row. Yet the Lake Trout seem to be bigger and healthier than ever, because they seemed to have found and like the new food source, the Gobie. Both the Lake Trout and Salmon, prefer and have two different forage zones. Lakers use the bottom, where MR. Gobie hangs out, and have discovered a feeding bonanza. Whereas the Salmons feeding zone is void of any life. Either they start looking and foraging for different prey in different zones, or they starve.
And heres another flip side to the alewife population crash on Lake Huron/Saginaw Bay. Seems we've had an excellent/unheard of, "natural" walleye population hatch the last two years as well. Well, guess what alewife seek out and love to eat best? Yup, those little frail walleye fry as they smolt out of the rivers into the main bay or lake. So now, these little rascles have both the space and added food source the alewife are not taking advantage of, to grow into fingerling size and large enough to make it on their own. I'm not overly concerned so much with the invasives that replace or squeeze into the nitchs left by another in the food chain. Everything in the food chain is connected to everything else. I'm worried about the ones that might sneak in, that are at the top of it and have no barriers. They are the ones that would continue to take, and never replace anything.
Edited by walleye express 12/20/2004 11:55 AM
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Interesting,........
It appears that the Salmon population has been starving across the entire Great Lakes because the Alewife has been in severe decline. In this area the DNR is warning that the stocking quota's will be reduced because of this decline. Many great lakes fishermen are starting to ask for stocking of the alewife. IMHO this would be a major mistake. It will be very interesting to see what happens this spring. It's my undersatnding the quota's will be reduced across the entire Lake Michigan waterway regardless of state.
I found it interesting that the Lake Trout seem to be bigger and healthier than ever in your area, because they seemed to have found and like the new food source, the Gobie. The DNR in Wisconsin has not recognized any increase as far as I am aware. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | The DNR in Wisconsin has not recognized any increase as far as I am aware.
This Gobie fenomina with our Lakers in Lake huron has only recently been noticed and detected. I myself, only noticed a real Gobie population explosion the last 3 years on the Bay. Otherwise, even though I've heard people talk about them, I never personally seen one till then. Now they've become so thick on the bottom, I hook/snag them in the body with crankbaits while trolling for walleyes. Give them a little more migration time, and I'm thinking you'll soon see what we are seeing here on Huron, over in Wisconsin.
Edited by walleye express 12/20/2004 12:07 PM
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Dan,
I was referring to the increase of Lake Trout in your area not Gobies. Unfortunately I have witnessed the explosion of the gobies first hand It appears that anytime we make contact with the bottom our offering is constantly being attacked by gobies. I have this vision of millions and millions scavenging on the bottom
|
|
| |
