A Description of the Commercial Fishery on Lake Superior in 2000 Mark P. Ebener Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority

Commercial Fishery Harvest Lake Superior, 1867 to 2000 Walleye Yellow perch Smelt Menominee Chubs Herring Whitefish Siscowet Lake trout

$0.00 $0.20 $0.40 $0.60 $0.80 $ $0.00 $0.20 $0.40 $0.60 $0.80 $1.00 Whitefish Lake trout Siscowet Chubs Herring Smelt Price Per Pound,

Commercial Fishery Number of Licenses 1965 U. S. Waters = 542 > all state or provincial 1999 U. S. and Canadian Waters = 350 > mostly Native American

Changing Nature of Fishery 1960s Change in Philosophy by States –Commercial > Recreational 1970s Re-affirmation of Treaty Rights - re-allocate fisheries to tribes 1980s Modernization of Ontario Fishery - reduce # licenses & create ITQs

Commercial Fishery Regulations ITQs in Ontario Harvest Limits (TACs) Limit on number or length of nets Minimum mesh size restrictions Closed seasons, closed areas Limited Entry Species limitations Limits on size and number of vessels

Ice Fishery

Small Gill Net Boat

Large Gill Net Tug

Trap Net Boat

Diagram of Commercial Trap Net

CORA Whitefish Fishery Statistic Small boat Large boat Trap net Ice fishery No. fish Effort7,60015,80043,200 CPUE Depth (ft) Nights 2243

Commercial Fishery Harvest Lake Trout Whitefish Herring Chubs Smelt All others

Location Principle Whitefish Fisheries Apostle Islands Thunder Bay Whitefish Bay Munising Keweenaw Bay North Entry Eastern Ontario

Effort Targeted at Whitefish, Gill Net Trap Net

Whitefish Catch Rate, Gill Net CPUE Trap Net CPUE Trap net Gill net

Change Gill Net Height - CORA % 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Percent of Effort Years

Whitefish Catch Rate -Meshes Deep

Changes in Gill Net Twine Diameter Years 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Proportion of Gill Net Effort

Lake Herring

Location of Principle Lake Herring Fisheries Black Bay Thunder Bay Minnesota Apostle Islands Keweenaw Bay Whitefish Bay

BloaterKiyi Shortjaw Lake Superior Chubs

Small Mesh Gill Net Effort

Catch Rate Herring & Chubs, CPUE (kg/km) Chubs Herring

Wisconsin Comml Herring Fishery Gill Net Mesh Sizes, % 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Year Percent of Effort 3 inch 2 inch

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec Month CPUE ft >150 ft <75 ft Lake Trout Catch Rate Large Mesh Gill Net Fishery

Large Mesh Gill Net Catch Rate, Lake Trout Forms, Kilograms per Kilometer Lean Siscowet wild hatchery wild

Summary 1) Size of fishery declining 4) Whitefish primary fishery, herring secondary 5) Gill net effort declining 6) Trap net effort increasing 7) Lake trout harvest declining 3) Prices declining or stable 2) Primarily Native American fishery