•Ecosystem mgmt-lake must be managed as a whole ecosystem;all species and their habitats are related •Habitat preservation and restoration must be foremost in ecosystem approach •Amounts of fish available for harvest, even in healthy systems, is limited by basic productivity •Fish communities based on naturally reproducing natives provide predictable, sustainable fisheries with minimal long-term cost to society •Stocked fish however are essential for continuing progress in restoring balanced fish communities, for developing spawning populations, and for providing fishing opportunities •Introduced(naturalized) species which are reproducing must be viewed as parts of the community; a complete return to pristine conditions(natives only) is not practical; all introductions must be carefully considered and the risks as well as benefits must be weighed; unintentional releases/ introductions of exotic species are probably the greatest threat to the Lake Huron ecosystem at this time.

•Rare and endangered native species add to the richness of the fish community and should be protected in recognition of their ecological and intrinsic values( lake sturgeon restoration example). •Species diversity or the presence of many  fish species contributes balance and stability within fish communities. Genetic diversity, both within and among fish stocks,  likewise, contributes to overall species fitness and adaptability. Managers have a responsibility to maintain  species and genetic diversity through protection of adapted stocks. This includes care in the selection and stocking of particular strains of fish species already introduced. •Socioeconomic values, such as providing opportunities  to meet recreational and commercial fishing interests are a priority in decision making. •Fisheries are a priceless cultural heritage. Therefore, the social, cultural and economic costs and benefits to society(both present and future) are important factors in making sound resource management decisions. The right to share in the heritage includes a stewardship role. •Fisheries management should be based on the best available science tempered by societal needs.

• Historically Huron’s main basin fish community was dominated by lake trout, whitefish groups, burbot and sculpins Deepwater ciscoes, herring(cisco) and sculpins served as the primary forage of trout and burbot.  The fish community in nearshore waters was more highly varied and consisted of walleye, suckers, smallmouth and largemouth bass, pike, muskellunge, sturgeon and catfish. Ninety-two species of fish representing 24 families are on record as having occurred at some time in the lake proper. Of the 92 species, 77 are thought to be indigenous. There are 18(ruffe, goby)????  non-indigenous species including the very destructive sea lamprey. Several species are now either extinct (or thought to be) including grayling. • Heavy commercial exploitation of the fishery followed by sea lamprey predation and habitat destruction, especially in tributaries and certain embayments, and exotic species invasions(planned or unplanned)  lead to radical changes in the fish community by the early 1900’s. The fishery which was largely commercial then, however, was relatively stable from 1912-1940. •The current fish community is still in transition but is somewhat stable with stocked trout and salmon(replacing the native lake trout) supported by alewives and smelt (replacing deepwater chubs and herring). Modest walleye and perch recoveries are continuing.

•The overall objective implies that the fish community would exhibit maturity and stability through the dominance of top predators most valued after by the public. •The 8.9 million kg objective is the recorded harvest from the lake from 1912-1940, and is considered the best long-term harvest measure of sustainable harvest based on the constraints of the lake’s morphometry and chemistry.

•Species mix/Fishing Opportunities-A fish community can be described by its species mix, those qualities(stability, balance, sustainability, and diversity) which enable it to persist and by measures of fishing opportunities(human needs) it offers. Generally, public attention (and it follows the agencies’ attention) is focused on harvest. •Habitat- fish numbers and species composition are strongly influenced by habitat features---for example most of Huron is deep and cold except for some embayments---features that are beyond human control. •Management- opportunity for management of fish populations and habitat is limited. Habitats can be rehabilitated to some degree nearshore and in tributaries but not offshore. Beyond the near shore managers can exert an influence through  fishing regulations, stocking and sea lamprey control. However, management actions are inexact. Stocking for example can produce short term gains that are difficult to sustain long-term. • Invaders-we have had little influence on the rate of introduction of exotics. Probably the greatest impacts(alteration of the food webs) by exotics are just beginning to be understood. •2000 and 2010 Fish Community Objective Reviews- because FCOs for an entire lake cannot be taken to a high degree of exactness, fishery management  opportunities are limited, and management  initiatives aimed at achieving objectives will have a large experimental component, 2000 and 2010 are priority years for review.

•There is international consensus that lake trout should play a prominent role along with other strains of trout and salmon as top predators. •While the re-establishment of lakewide, self-sustaining populations of lake trout are still an open question, agencies will continue to stock trout and salmon to provide a fishery. You will hear about remnant populations of lake trout today that are self-sustaining in Canadian waters.

•Some viable walleye stocks exist and only need to be maintained. Others(Saginaw Bay and Georgian Bay) are undergoing rehabilitation. •Yellow perch are widely distributed and an important sport and commercial species. Recent year class fluctuations, especially in main basin stocks have caused downswings in catch but perch fisheries in Saginaw Bay and elsewhere have remained relatively strong. Managing for healthy perch fisheries may mean conservative harvest strategies.

•Lake whitefish continue to be a premium eating fish of the Great lakes and a corner stone of commercial fisheries for more than a century. Recent landings continue to be some of the highest on record for the main basin, North channel and outer Saginaw Bay. The Georgian Bay fishery is still recovering. •Deepwater ciscoes, bloaters, are the main inhabitant of the deeper waters of the lake and the only form still abundant. The other deepwater form, the shortjaw, is now probably extinct. Bloater numbers have declined recently from  the high levels noted through the 1980’s and early 1990’s but the population is still considered robust. •Lake herring numbers have not recovered in the main basin.They have been replaced by alewives and smelt. They were a historically valuable food fish and prey species. Some populations persist in the northern portion of the lake and it’s hoped they may be the basis of a future recovery for this species..

•The smallmouth bass is the most abundant and popular of the sunfish group and is common in nearshore waters and bays. Smallmouth numbers typically fluctuate with raising and lowering lake levels.

•Lake sturgeon has an exceedingly long generation time and is consequently vulnerable to overfishing. In Huron sturgeon were historically quite abundant but by 1910 populations were greatly reduced. One of the keys to increasing sturgeon numbers, in addition to protecting adults from overfishing, is reestablishing fish passage to spawning and nursery habitats for this species in  tributaries blocked by dams.

•Deepwater ciscoe(bloaters), sculpins, lake herring, smelt, and alewives constitute the bulk of the prey biomass availible to trout and salmon in the colder deeper areas of the lake. •Alewife, smelt, gizzard shad, spottail, emerald shiners, young whitefish, and yellow perch, and now goby(Saginaw Bay) are important seasonally in the diets of nearshore predators. •With the majority of prey species not being controlled by either predation nor fishing, abundance usually varies within wide limits. Species diversity(including prey species) imparts some overall stability to the prey base by minimizing effects of year-to-year variations within single species. •Overall balance implied in the prey objective is normally achieved by manipulating predator numbers through harvest controls and stocking.

•Northern pike will provide most of the pike and muskellunge harvest objective as they are far more common than muskellunge. As catch and release becomes more popular, harvest objectives should be revisited. •Preservation and enhancement of spawning/nursery habitat for both species is the most critical need.

•There is recent evidence that flathead catfish are becoming established in some portions of Saginaw Bay. They will could add excitement to local fisheries because they can attain larger sizes than channels. They are also extremely efficient predators.

•Fish community objectives are predicated on a high level of sea lamprey control. Lake trout are one of the primary targets of lamprey. The St. Marys River produces more sea lamprey than all Great lakes tributaries combined. The integrated pest control strategy developed for the St. Marys river and implemented the late 1990’s needs to be evaluated and maintained. Recent  US and Canadian budget increases for the GLFC should insure continued control on the St. Marys and other top larval producing streams across the basin.

•Huron  is the home of at least 92 fish species and 77 are believed to be indigenous. These species contribute to the value and ecological diversity of the fish community. •Many exotic species are not likely to enhance the present fish community and some may in fact displace natives or disrupt food webs. Therefore unplanned  introductions of exotics should be avoided.

•The Lake and Technical committees have been directed by the SPMGLF to develop FCOs and EO’s for each lake. As yet EOs have not yet  been completed for Huron. An international GIS-based habitat mapping project currently underway on Huron will greatly assist in  providing the tools for completing ECOs. •The LHC/LHTC members have been working with environmental agencies, NGOs and the public recently in the development of the Lake Huron Initiative.This has generated a list of environmental issues and priorities for Huron including the need to inventory GLs fisheries habitat.