Introduce the presentation.  Acknowledge the other contributing agencies including Michigan DNR, FN’s in Ontario, Fishing Clubs throughout the lake, charter boat operators, etc.

The fisheries are diverse.  Commercial both large and small boat occur around the lake. Recreational is in itself diverse both on the open water, nearshore in the many bays and islands, and large and small river fisheries.

We will briefly give some background information and then concentrate on the past 20 to 30 years or the recovery period of the commercial fishery Activity restricted to nearshore corralling or seining, hook and line fishing and corralling in river run fisheries

They describe the effects of both technological advances and demographic changes which occurred around the lake over the past 2 centuries. Things such as the introduction of steam and then diesel power, changes in gear material and construction, refrigeration, transportation to markets, as well as changes in community structure and the makeup of the commercial fleet in both American and Canadian waters. We will  concentrate more on the current commercial fishery and the major events which have helped to form it in the past 20 or so years

Several changes have occurred in recent years which have had significant impact on commercial fishery. First is change in the philosophy of management agencies.  1960’s state of Michigan began a shift in policy direction  towards tighter control of commercial fishery and greater emphasis on recreational fishery.  This meant removal of gillnets and restriction of fishing areas. Second was Modernization of Ontario commercial fishery.  This meant introduction of ITQ’s, restriction of gear, fishing areas, and in some cases season closures.  Also reduction in size of fishing fleet. Third was assertion of First Nations / Native American treaty rights to commercially fish.  Through court cases in both Michigan and Ontario jurisdictions, these rights were upheld in various forms.  In Michigan this brought about the creation of COTFMA/CORA for northern Michigan waters.  In Ontario this meant negotiated fishing agreements with several First Nations

There are 72 commercial fisheries in Ontario waters.  This has decreased from approximately 123 in 1979.  Most are gill netters with the exception of one major trapnet  fishery in extreme S lake Huron and one smaller trapnet fisher in the northern section of the main basin as well.  Virtually all Canadian waters are open to commercial fishing with the exception of 2 lake trout refuges and some area specific restrictions. The State fishery in Michigan is restricted to the area north of XXXX and south of XXXX.  There are NNN fisheries licenced and all are trapnet fisheries. The COTFMA or CORA fishery is found in the northern area of Lake Huron from the Straits of Mackinaw to Thunder Bay.  There are approximately 42 fishers in this fishery.

electronics allow tracking of fish stocks, location of habitat, location of nets communication among fishermen can concentrate fishing effort. Size of vessels.  Larger with more safety features can fish in more inclement weather.  Year round in some areas. Processing abilities.  Large tug can process on board, live on board, produce ice, expanding range of fleet.

Total harvest has decreased below historical levels but has been increasing over the past 30 years.

In terms of composition of the harvest, we see a dramatic trend towards a single species fishery.  Lake whitefish has become the dominant species harvested throughout the lake. Decreases in lake herring, walleye, yellow perch, and carp have also been significant

Targets primarily lake whitefish (averages about 95% of all large mesh effort, except in southern lake Huron where walleye may make up up to 25%.  Other targeted species in large mesh fishery include chinook salmon in northern Lake Huron and Lake Trout.

Saw an increase through the 80’s and then a decline again in the 1990’s. Currently lowest level over past 20 years. In northern US waters species targeted is lake herring and round whitefish.  Some small amount of effort targeted at these species in Canadian waters as well.

Trapnet fishery has decreased effort slightly in last 20 years although there is a shift upwards again in the past 5 years or so. Targeting is different. In US waters lake whitefish are targeted.  In Canadian waters effort is mostly targeted at walleye and yellow perch in southern lake Huron with a minor amount targeting lake whitefish.  In northern lake Huron the trapnet fishery targets lake whitefish, similar to the US trapnet fishery.

Trapnet fishery has decreased effort slightly in last 20 years although there is a shift upwards again in the past 5 years or so. Targeting is different. In US waters lake whitefish are targeted.  In Canadian waters effort is mostly targeted at walleye and yellow perch in southern lake Huron with a minor amount targeting lake whitefish.  In northern lake Huron the trapnet fishery targets lake whitefish, similar to the US trapnet fishery.

shift from nylon to monofilament nets in both Canadian and US fisheries.  Large mesh first followed by small mesh

height of nets used has changed.  Shift to higher/taller nets.  This has been  shown to increase CPUE in some cases.

Another change has been the change in the size of twine used in the construction of gill nets. Finer material makes nets more efficient but also less resistant to tearing by more aggressive species (ie. lake trout)

Another change has been the change in the size of twine used in the construction of gill nets. Finer material makes nets more efficient but also less resistant to tearing by more aggressive species (ie. lake trout)

4. Habitat manipulation, dam construction/removal, agricultural and forestry practices. Etc.

The number of fish harvested by the recreational fishery from the main basin has decreased over the past 15 years.  Most of the harvest was traditionally from Saginaw Bay and other US locations.  Canadian harvest has only recently begun to increase. Canadian estimates are minimal and lack complete basin coverage.

In terms of biomass, total yield has decreased slightly over the past 15 years, mostly due to a major decline in yellow perch and walleye harvest.  This has been replaced by chinook salmon harvests to a certain extent.

In terms of fishing effort, recreational fishing has been relatively stable over the past several years, down slightly from the mid-1980’s.  Once again most of the fishing effort appears to be located in US waters of the main basin.

The Georgian Bay recreational fishery is a very complex fishery and has received very little attention in the past.  The basin has several different types of fisheries, each with its own unique character.  Most of the more recent assessment effort has been focused on the relatively new salmonid fishery in SW Georgian Bay.

The harvest of fish in this region has been relatively steady over the past 10 years.  Harvest is up from the late 1980’s and 1999 saw a huge increase in fish harvested.  Recreational effort has shown a similar pattern, increasing in the early 1990’s and leveling off over the past 10 years, with an increase in 1999.  The majority of this effort and harvest is targeted at Chinook salmon, in the order of 65 to 90% throughout the time series shown.

In 2000, an aerial boat count project was conducted to evaluate all of the fishing effort in Georgian Bay.  Based upon that study, about 45% of the fishing effort takes place in the SW region of Georgian Bay that has been traditionally surveyed.  This data along with some sporadic information from other areas surveyed allow us to make an estimate for the complete Basin. However it should be noted that much of the basin remains unsurveyed with small pockets of potentially high recreation effort and harvest occurring.

Even less is currently know of the recreational fishery in the North Channel.  Both nearshore and offshore as well as river fisheries exist in the north channel.  Although not expected to be as intensive a fishery as seen in Georgain Bay or the Main Basin, it is felt that the fisheries throughout this basin are substantial and significant to the fish stocks in the region

Local creel surveys were conducted in 1995, 1996, and in 1998 and 1999 an attempt was made to try and design and conduct Index creel surveys in the North Channel.  These surveys are the basis for estimates made for this basin.

Finally, and not least by any means, the St. Mary’s River has long been the final destination of a variety of recreational fishermen.  In 1999 under the direction of the LHTC, an International access creel of the St. Mary’s river was conducted.  The magnitude of the existing fishery was reported and a basis for future assessment of the river is being formulated.  Key species targetted in this system include the yellow perch, lake herring, lake whitefish, and to a lesser degree walleye, chinook salmon and northern pike.

Overall, we have estimated that the recreational fishery expends an estimated 4.23 million angler hours of fishing activity annually in Lake Huron.  This results in an estimated harvest of approximately 1.73 million fish which can be translated into an annual yield of approximately 1.4 million kg

TO summarize, the current combined yield of fish from Lake Huron is approximately 7.28 million kg. The harvest in both fisheries is quite diverse from location to location.  The nature of the fisheries is quite different from what it was  20 years ago with more salmonid fisheries in existence and percid fisheries reduced.  Key issues facing both commercial and recreational fisheries currently include stocking rates for offshore predators and predator-prey relationships, rehabilitation of lake trout, nearshore rehabilitation efforts including spawning habitat, stocking, harvest controls, and the lack of solid estimates from throughout the whole lake, notably limited data from G. Bay and the North Channel.

Lake Huron has long had the luxury of boasting both a sustainable commercial fishery and sustainable recreational fisheries. It will be the onerous task of the management agencies around the lake to ensure that both of these fisheries continue to be sustainable, both from the stocks perspective and from the users perspective.