LAKE ERIE COMMITTEE

Comfort Inn "The Pointe"
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
24,25 March 1993

Executive Summary

1. CLC's Law Enforcement Committee

The LEC referred to CLC the Lake Erie Law Enforcement Subcommittee's recommendation that the CLC Law Enforcement Committee be disbanded or reconfigured perhaps to one representative per agency.

2. Triploid grass carp proposal 

The PFBC proposal to permit release of triploid grass carp was referred to the CLC. Pennsylvania would vote on the measure on 26 April.

3. Proposed GLFC contaminant position statement

LEC members would comment at the 13 April CLC meeting.

4. Common U.S. contaminant advisory

1. On behalf of the LEC, Doug Jester (MDNR) will draft a letter to Tim McNulty (CGLG) for CLC consideration that will
   
   i. urge scientific review
   
   ii. urge research by EPA and Trust Fund on risk assessment assumptions
   
   iii. urge reconciliation with FDA standards and Canadian advisories
   
   iv. urge delay until Health and Welfare Canada research available (possibly fall of 1993 for April Monroe, Michigan 1994 state of the lakes conference).
   
   Jon Stanley (USFWS) and Doug Dodge (OMNR) will advise Jester on current projects and potential reviewers.
   
2. The LEC requests that the GLFC schedule a presentation at its 1993 Annual Meeting on the common U.S. contaminant advisory.

5. Proposed Environmental Objectives Workshop

The LEC referred discussion of the proposed environmental objectives workshop to the CLC.

6. Fish community objectives

LEC members will meet with technical advisors 21 - 23 June at Put-in-Bay to draft fish community objectives.

7. Research review meeting

Roy Stein (OSU) and Ken Paxton (ODNR) will organize a research review meeting possibly in November 1993 in Ohio.

8. Walleye Task Group

The LEC accepted the Walleye Task Group report and approved a 1993 recommended allowable harvest of 10.5 million fish and the same sharing formula as used in previous years.

The LEC directed the Walleye Task Group to

1. Develop allowable harvest ranges for 1994 incorporating risk assessment and using state-of-the-art population and yield models.
2. Evaluate existing interagency gillnets and trawling programs and identify changes needed to improve their utility as estimators of recruitment and survival.
3. Maintain and update centralized time series data sets required for population models or used to monitor the dynamics of the walleye population including tagging, fishing harvest and effort by grid, growth rate, maturity schedule, and agency and interagency abundance indices.
4. Examine and report on the spatial and temporal distribution of walleye by sex and stage of maturity incorporating commercial catch, sport catch, index fishing and tagging data.  Assistance from the Statistics and Modeling Task Group will be required. This task is intended to provide information related to inter-jurisdictional sharing of harvest.

9. Yellow Perch Task Group

1. The LEC accepted the report of the Yellow Perch Task Group and approved a 1993 recommended allowable harvest of 10 million pounds, a value midway between the YPTG recommended allowable harvest (RAH) based on an adjusted population estimate combined with an F0.1 exploitation strategy and a harvest projection based on index fishing combined with F0.1 exploitation strategy. Also, if yellow perch continue to decline F0.1 may be revisited.
   
2. For 1993 - 1997, the LEC agreed to move in a step manner eg. 20% increments to a sharing formula based on a midpoint between recent historical and areal allocation. Also, if yellow perch rebounds substantially the sharing formula may be revisited.
   
   The LEC directed the Yellow Perch Task Group to
   
3. Maintain and update centralized time series data sets required for population models or used to monitor the dynamics of yellow perch populations including fishing effort, harvest, growth rate, maturity schedule, and agency and interagency abundance indices.
   
4. Complete the joint YPTG / SAM report documenting the procedure used to develop yellow perch recommended allowable harvests which considers management units using state-of-the-art population and yield models and incorporating risk assessment.
   
5. Develop 1994 recommended allowable harvests for each yellow perch management unit using state-of-the-art population and yield models and incorporating risk assessment.
   
6. Conduct scoping and literature reviews to determine factors (fecundity, predation, prey availability, community interactions, etc.) affecting recruitment of yellow perch into the fisheries. Provide brief written report indicating key potential factors and information voids.

10. Forage Task Group

The LEC directed the Forage Task Group to

1. Conduct analyses with the interagency trawling program that includes:
   
   i. A procedure for calibration of trawls, incorporating SCANMAR results.
   
   ii. A continuation of analyses with trawl data sets to determine the most appropriate statistic for describing central tendency.
   
   iii. A summary of species CPE statistics and biomass estimates from calibrated trawls.
   
   iv. Establishment of a standard trawling protocol in eastern lake Erie.
   
2. Examine the implications of increased demand on the forage base, particularly on rainbow smelt and alewife, at a time when productivity appears to be declining in the Eastern basin. The task group should incorporate independent assessments and analyses conducted by the participating agencies. The product may take the form of a risk assessment.
   
3. Evaluate hydroacoustic techniques as a method for producing a basinwide assessment of the distribution and abundance of rainbow smelt in the Eastern Basin.
   
4. Prepare a brief report describing the status of forage species in 1993 for each basin of Lake Erie.
   
   In addition,
   
5. Information regarding the qualitative and quantitative aspect of planktonic and benthic organisms and their roles in the Lake Erie ecosystem is limited. This is an area in which the USFWS could provide needed expertise and commitment. If USFWS is interested in expanding their partnership with Lake Erie management agencies, the FTG would welcome dialogue and a planning meeting to determine informational needs and develop an efficient program.

11. Cold Water Task Group

The LEC directed the Cold Water Task Group to

1. Create an information document for the LEC's fish community objectives planning exercise, deferring rehabilitation planning until the LEC has adopted fish community objectives.
   
2. Coordinate annual standardized lake trout assessment among all Eastern Basin agencies.  Prepare an annual consolidated lake trout rehabilitation status report.
   
3. Complete revision of the "Strategic Plan for the Rehabilitation of Lake Trout in Eastern Lake Erie".
   
4. Assess whitefish population density, age structure, growth rates, diet and seasonal distribution.
   
5. Evaluate and report on sources of mortality on lake trout and whitefish.
   
6. Participate in the IMSL 1993 exercises on Lake Erie to define information needs related to sea lamprey control with a target completion date by 1994.
   
   Rob Young (DFO) replaced the previous sea lamprey agent on the Cold Water Task Group.

12. Interagency Gill Netting Index Group

The LEC directed the Interagency Gill Netting Index Group to

1. Summarize work done to date in a draft report for review by group members. Submit a final August 15 report to STC Chair that answers concerns about use of standardized 700 ft. gear (14 nets @ 50' panels) and how data will be formatted and analyzed.
   
2. (Approval of August 15 report by STC Chair will complete current charges.) Maintain a listing of contact personnel to facilitate agency participation in use of standardized 700 ft. gear and data entry into centralized databases.

13. Statistical and Modeling Group

The LEC directed the Statistics and Modeling Group to maintain a current listing of task group members who when required / requested will assist other task groups. Any requests from other task groups for assistance from SAM will be made from the requesting task group chair to the STC chair.

14. Fishing Regulations

Michigan DNR, Ohio DNR, and NY DEC are each reviewing fishing regulations and will offer fellow LEC members an opportunity to comment.

15. Fish community objectives for Lake St. Clair

The LEC will review the draft fish community objectives for Lake St. Clair. Michigan DNR and Ontario MNR will organize a joint public hearing on Lake St. Clair fish community objectives.

16. GLFC-contracted fishery reviews of RAPs

The LEC referred to the CLC a discussion on the utility of GLFC-contracted fishery reviews of RAPs.

17. LEC officers

Del Graff (PFBC) will chair and Craig Selby will vice-chair the LEC through the 1995 LEC meeting. 

MD
26 April 1993

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