To hike quotas for Erie walleye

[sj]

OUTDOORS

Short-sighted to hike quotas for walleye
Friday, April 08, 2005
D'Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Columnist

There are swarms of young walleye swimming in Lake Erie, a bonanza class that hatched in 2003. In two years they have quickly grown from two tiny eyes and a wiggle to footlong eating machines.

Those small walleye make up an estimated 71 percent of the Lake Erie walleye population. Yet in a quixotic decision, after three years of low walleye quotas to protect and enhance Lake Erie's most popular game fish, the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has abandoned the mission.

Last week, the LEC more than doubled the lakewide total allowable catch (TAC) of walleye for 2005 from 2.4 million to 5.8 million fish from a population estimated at 42 million. That number marks a surprising 140 percent increase, despite just one good hatch over three years.

Ohio (2.9 million) and Ontario (2.5 million) split the majority of the walleye TAC. Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York get small shares of the fishing wealth.

The decision to allow the pint-sized class of 2003 walleye to dominate sport and commercial catches this year - including female walleye not mature enough to spawn until 2007 - is one fisheries managers could regret as early as next season.

The LEC predicts this year's walleye harvest and natural attrition will result in a lakewide population of 31 million walleye in 2006. Barring another amazing hatch in 2005, the walleye population will struggle because of bad hatches in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

Even with low walleye quotas over the past three years, Ohio sport anglers have consistently failed to catch their share. Ohio commercial fishermen are not allowed to harvest walleye or use gill nets. In 2004, with a quota of 1.23 million walleye, Ohio anglers kept 859,000 fish and released tens of thousands of small walleye because of a 15-inch size limit. Ohio's six-fish daily bag limit is also trimmed to three walleye during the March-April spawning season.

Ontario commercial fishermen not only took their share of 1.04 million walleye, but were 380,000 over the quota. The head of the Ontario commercial fishermen said the 35 percent overharvest of "spike" walleye in perch gill nets was unavoidable then - and will be again in 2005.

"There were a number of measures by the Ministry of Natural Resources last year to reduce the by-catch of small pickerel [walleye]," said Peter Meisenheimer, executive director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries' Association in Blenheim, Ontario. "They were so plentiful, the only way we could avoid catching them would have been to shut down the perch fishery."

The low walleye quotas of the last three years prompted Meisenheimer to charge the LEC with favoring U.S. members, as well as sport angling over commercial fishing. The LEC seemed to make amends in 2005 to Ontario's crowd of more than 200 commercial fishing license holders.

"Last year's TAC was ridiculous," said Meisenheimer. "It is hard to believe it wasn't malicious. Now we're back in the realm of reality. From where we sit, at least now we'll now have three years of reasonable pickerel [walleye] fishing."

The LEC also set the lakewide TAC for yellow perch at 11.8 million pounds, a 7 percent increase. As the perch population has recovered from the doldrums of the 1990s, fishermen have feasted, especially commercial anglers taking the bulk of the annual harvest. The lakewide perch harvest has soared from 3.9 million pounds in 1995 to 9.7 million pounds in 2004.

Meisenheimer agreed fishing success has been a Lake Erie roller coaster ride for many years, and there is risk in taking so many small walleye and ever-increasing numbers of yellow perch.

"That is the nature of these fish," he said. "They produce big year classes every once in a while. There is a risk to everything in life. You can't fish without having an impact on the population."

The quotas raised the ire of western Lake Erie charter captain Mike Matta, the Ohio representative to the Lake Erie Fishery Commission, who spoke at the LEC meeting. He feels more than doubling the walleye quota on Lake Erie is a major setback in maintaining a quality fishery.

"They gave the [2003 class of walleye] to the gill nets before they have the chance to spawn even once," said Matta. "If there are so many walleye out there, how can Ohio justify a three-fish daily bag limit [in March and April] or a 15-inch size limit?

"We're going to see this fishery go from great to 'maintenance' status in just one year with these quotas. Last year, it looked as if the Lake Erie Committee was finally starting to get it and protect walleye stocks.

"Not anymore."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

degan@plaind.com, 216-999-6136



© 2005 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
Print This E-mail This

http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1112952674271530.xml

[Airwave(OH)]

I have to say I agree this was not the right thing to do. On the other hand, if Gas pricing keep climbing , very few will be out there fishing anyhow. I've talked to many that are either selling there boats or just not going to put them in this year.






If I agree with you, then we'd both be wrong.

[CarpetBagger]

Nice article

CB
_____________________________
http://pstr-m05.ygpweb.aol.com/data2/004/71/C5/D4/61/fff83fa91HQMu2ycdBZLIsGnRYNU0tfO00A0.jpg

[j9f]

It is interesting that we didn't see any changes in Michigan or Ohio.

Still no fishing in Michigan until after Memorial day.

I'm sure they will catch the regulations up to the new quotas next year...... yeah right.

[Marble Eyes]

I say Invade Tomorrow.

Given that they are mostly french, they will surrender tonight.

[bob oh]

The whole idea is to appease the greed of the Ontario commercial fleet -- which is part of the Ontario's "great" conservation program. Of course the rest of the lake group is afraid to say anything to Ontario for fear they will leave the group and increase their rape rate.

rod bender bob

[Papascott]

I was told over the winter that the U.S. is counting the canadians fish now? Anyone know for sure, I cannot remember who told me but if we(US) are counting for them and they wont be able to be off in their counting it will probably equate to a lower actual harvest for the northern gill netters.

Scott

[j9f]

I live close enough to Canada that the local cable provider broadcasts CBC. Ocassionally I watch their news program. I caught a story last year about the "opression" the local fishing industry was feeling. They were crying about how all of the fishermen were going broke, the fish cleaners were going to go out of business, etc. Of course all of the fishermen claimed there were plenty of fish.

It was a touching human interest story about how the lower pickerel quotas were going to take towns off the map. Of course they were all lobbying the province to raise the quotas.

I went to Wheatly last year for a steelhead trip. I was amazed at the size of the commercial fleet docked in that harbor. I figured there would be a dozen boats running out that port. There must have been 50. At least it seemed that way.

[Airwave(OH)]

Somehow I really doubt that they would allow us or that we would want to count there fish for them, it would be like we didn't trust them.;)
The appearance wouldn't be real good for relations.

If I agree with you, then we'd both be wrong.

[bob oh]

Isn't this the same group that screamed "wolf" about 3 years ago" Had to tighten regulations in MI, Ohio, PA and NY and cut the commerical harvest in Ontario -- You just had to know that commercial greed would win out in the long run and the pols would bend over and grab their ankles.
Isn't ODNR rep on the board or heading it and didn't they just explain to us how "important" it was to cut the spring limit to 3 to save 5,000 or 6,000 fish -- for whom? the netters!!!!
Good job

rod bender bob

[RickyP]

I have a question on this subject. Is it possible for canadian commercial fishermen to ruin the walleye fishing in all of Lake Erie? Or is the damage to walleye numbers confined mainly to Canadian waters? (i.e. the decline of the walleye fishery in Eriou)

It seems to me that given the walleye migration patterns as I understand them, a sizeable percentage of erie's walleyes never enter Canadian waters and therefore would not be in danger.

If this is the case, then it would seem logical to me that canada should be able to decide how their quota is harvested, and if they decide it's more important to harvest them commercially rather than maintain a healthy sportfishery then that's up to them.

I'm not trying to start an argument, or to defend the use of gill nets. I'm just trying to understand the reality of the situation.

[sj]

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2005

LAKE ERIE WALLEYE AND PERCH QUOTAS SET FOR 2005


COLUMBUS, OH -The Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission recently announced the 2005 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for walleye and yellow perch fisheries in Lake Erie, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The committee, composed of representatives from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, meets each March to set sustainable levels of catch for both fish species.

The 2005 TAC for walleye is 5.8 million fish, with Ohio’s share or “quota” at about 3 million fish, a sizeable increase from last year's quota of 1.2 million fish.

“We are now realizing the benefits of very conservative harvests on lake-wide walleye fisheries over the past four years,” said Steven A. Gray, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “The interagency effort to address population declines in this popular game fish has paid off and now we are seeing the greatest numbers of Lake Erie walleye since 1990.”

Ohio's yellow perch quota is 5.4 million pounds of the lake-wide TAC of 11.8 million pounds. That amount is similar to last year's quota of 5.1 million pounds.

“The yellow perch population is healthy and we are expecting another year of fantastic perch fishing on Lake Erie,” said Gray.

The daily bag limit for walleye between March 1 and April 30 is three fish, increasing to six fish from May 1 through February 28, 2006. A minimum length of 15 inches per walleye also remains in effect year round. The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish year round with no size limit. Anglers can obtain more information on species harvest limits from the 2005-2006 Ohio Fishing Regulations available at any license outlet, or online at ohiodnr.com


-30-

For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com

For Further Information Contact:
Roger Knight, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(419) 625-8062
-or-
Jeff Tyson, ODNR Division of Wildlife
(419) 625-8062
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860


http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/news/apr05/0411quotas.htm

[bob oh]

So the walleye total is rebounding (but still less than half of what is was in the 80s) so let's give them to the greedy netters in Canada. Good to know that the ODNR wildlife chief is a yes-man for the netters. I've always been an ODNR supporter but I think that will end with this agreement. Can still see them speaking to us 2 years ago about how we had to have 3 limit in Marh-April to save the walleye and then admitting that it would SAVE about 5 or 6,000 FISH. Now they're going to let the netters slaughter millions !!!
Wonder how Gray and Knight (ODNR rep) sleep at night?

rod bender bob

[j9f]

Better than changing from 6 to 0 here in Michigan, but keeping the Detroit river open because they are "different" fish across the imaginary line in the river. The real reason is that they don't count toward the Lake Erie quota although the DNR never comes out and says that.

So now I make sure I fish at least 100 yards from the Michigan line in Ohio water until June 1st.

[Stormsearch]

My recollection was that all the sportfishing states reduced their quotas so it would force the Canadian netters to lower theirs also. It seemed to be a good thing until we realized the netters overharvested, the sportsfisherman under. Now, they are pulling the upper limit on the netters and nothing for us. I would love to come down to Ohio and fish the reefs, but for only 3 fish, it's not worth my longer drive. I do drive a shorter distance and fish the same imaginary line as j9f. Sometimes I'm afraid if the walleye pisses in my boat because it contains MI waters...

I've fished quit a bit the last several years on the Detroit River. But now with all of the tournaments, MI waters of Lake Erie closed, I'm now conceding to only handlining at night which ain't all that bad. But the river fishing is just getting so crowded.

RickyP - regarding letting each State/Province set their own quota would be like letting them take as much water in their region as they wanted. They could drain the entire lake, but only suck water from their region. It's not that drastic but my quickest analogy I could think of. Walleyes in Erie are way to migratory for each State/Province to go unchecked. Although I agree that Ohio probably has more fish per acreage versus Ontario.

[RickyPunlogged]

I was not suggesting that Ontario be allowed to set their own quotas. My point was they should be able to harvest their allotment as set by the LEC however they see fit. It seems pretty obvious to me that a healthy sportfishery is not as important to them as their commercial harvest. And I really don't understand how this latest increase in the catch quota will wreak the gloom and doom some are predicting. I do find it curious that the quota was raised so quickly after one exceptional hatch. I wish they would have erred on the side of caution and not raised the numbers for a couple of years.

It is my understanding that Ohio never reaches it's allowable catch quota. Why then weren't the daily limits increased to coincide with the increased quota for this year?

I live in Michigan, and we always exceed our quota which I assume is a logical reason for not changing the April/May closure on Erie.

It seems to me that in some ways the same type of unfounded opposition exists regarding commercial Canadian walleye harvests and the continued arguing over allowing sportfishing during the spawn on Erie.

[Raybob]

If you have ever seen clear-cut new growth seedlings with a lack of a mature forest, that is the picture I get of Erie for several years because the Adult stock was already down to very low levels, but aided some over the last few years by the reduced TAC ... it looks like the gains in the mature population from several years of reduced limits simply were just stockpile for the netters to harvest with this new TAC with no positive gains for the sport anglers on the Southside of Erie... Erie draws in bucks & fame for the size of our walleyes - not a short term smelt fest on dink Eyes.........

Visit Lake Erie ... the Smelt Capital of the World!!! ~ for a couple of years -then what???

[Stormsearch]

Sounds like we are reading the same book, higher quota's for the netters but nothing for the rest of us. Plus, the Ontario netters always take more than their allowable TAC. It's not so much doom and gloom as much as culling on a resource that everybody else has been trying to protect. Look at Eariau and Bay of Quinte (fortunately they banned this area for netters as well as added a slot, but might not be enough), the netters simply do not have enough knowledge when they overharvest.

In MI, like you say, we have been fortunate. Outstanding fishing for the last 4 years with larger than average size 'eyes which we easily managed to overtake our TAC as well. For regulation, it was either 4 fish/person for the year or shutdown the lake for two months. I just don't understand how they could have ignored the Detroit River if they were so concerned (they could have followed suit with Ohio and reduced the limits for April/May) like they have done on the Maumee.

[Reel Naughty]

The most aggravating thing is that Canada understands how to manage a fishery. You only need look at LSC Muskie and Smallie populations and Georgian Bay Muskie populations to name a few.

Like j9f said, the legislature is catering to its constituents based on a great human interest story. The reality is that Canada is trying sustain the same commercial fleet it had during the walleye boom (80 million) on a significantly smaller population. In 10 years time CBC will be airing the same human interest story but this time the towns will have disappeared rather then adapted to the changing conditions. The Canadian government is supporting a house of cards that will eventually fall, rather then taking responsibility and redefining the economic substance of its economy. It is not impossible to do. A great example is the Gulf Coast of the US. An area that was once a huge commercial fishery during the early and mid part of 1900's was forced to redefine it's economy and now relies on tourism and sport fishing.

Sorry to rant it is just aggravating.

JD

[sj]

Article published Sunday, April 17, 2005

Lake Erie walleye numbers pleasing


Efforts by government agencies around Lake Erie to conserve and boost the lake's walleye stocks via three years of very strict sport and commercial catch-rules, plus a big smile from Mother Nature in 2003, are paying off with the brightest fishery status since 1990. That, in a nutshell, is the proverbial rest-of-the-story behind this month's announcement of substantially larger Erie walleye catch-allotments for 2005 by the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

The LEC, using a new modeling approach and harvest policy developed in response to once-falling walleye stocks, has boosted the lakewide walleye fishery's total allowable catch or TAC to 5.8 million fish for 2005.

Ohio receives a lion's share of that at about 3 million fish and Ontario receives about 2.5 million. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York receive relatively small allocations based on their limited ownership of the lake.

"It's not a political thing," stressed Ohio's Roger Knight. "It's a scientific estimate of what the TAC ought to be."

The new TAC, he explained, still is below the 6.6 million average compiled since 1979 though it is more than double the TAC of the 2.4 million that was in place during the lean years of 2001 to 2004.

The magnitude of changes in the TAC from here on likely will not be so dramatic, especially under an LEC harvest policy aimed at trying to keep harvests at sustainable levels.

For Lake Erie sport fishermen, the new TAC does not mean that the fish will be jumping into the boat this summer.

That depends on favorable weather for fishing, especially on weekends when most anglers have time to get out, and on the fish staying where anglers can get to them.

Nor does the new, larger TAC mean that conservative fishing rules suddenly will evaporate. But state fisheries managers are not ruling out easing at least some restrictions for 2006.

"Any changes will hinge on the forecast [for the walleye stocks] and early signs of the status of the '05 hatch," said Knight, who is Lake Erie programs coordinator for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Because of the time-consuming path built into changing fishing regulations, wildlife division managers will have to decide roughly by late summer whether to make changes for 2006, and that allows only a preliminary assessment of the 2005 hatch. Spawning is under way now, and, as Knight so well notes, "weather trumps everything."

Last week's unrelenting northeast winds did nothing to buoy up enthusiasm for 2005, given that such prolonged blows push cold central-basin waters into the western-basin spawning reefs and fish-nursery areas. Such blows also stir up spawn-choking silt from the shallow western-basin bottom. Still, the spring of 2003 witnessed some questionable weather and yet that year-class of walleye was the best in 20-plus years and it forms the bulk for the renewed stocks today followed by 2001 and 1999 fish. The 2000, 2002, and 2004 year-classes were rated poor, or worse.

Knight declared it "a possibility" that Ohio will return to a daily creel limit of four walleye in March and April, up from the severe limit of three implemented last year for those months along with a 15-inch year-round minimum length. The cut from four to three was met with strong protests especially from the charter-sportfishing community, guides contending that they could attract early-season customers with a four-fish limit but not with three.

The daily creel limit in Ohio waters is six walleye May through February. In Michigan waters it is five fish June through March, but the fishery is closed altogether in April and May. In Ontario the sport fishery is closed March 15 to May 13, with the daily limit otherwise being six walleye, no size minimum.

It is less likely that Ohio will give up the 15-inch minimum as it continues to aim at protecting younger fish in its waters.

Most male walleye are not mature enough to spawn until age three and females at age four.

Moreover, managers are not prone to making annual changes given the vagaries of hatch success from year to year. So doing could create a roller-coaster effect in which rules rarely seem in synch with stock size.

For instance, the pool of catchable walleye this year is 42 million fish, including about 30 million 2003 fish, most of which will be legal size in Ohio and Michigan waters by mid to late summer and some of which already are legal. It is the biggest pool of walleye since 1990 and stands in stark contrast to the mere 16.3 million fish in 2000, the lowest stock noted since 1978.

But next year's walleye pool is forecast at just 31 million because of a poor hatch in 2004, and thus relatively few two-year-olds will be entering the fishery. Knight said that the LEC's model forecasts that about 2.7 million of the 30 million 2003 fish available this year will be caught lakewide. That will leave a sizable pool of '03s for 2006 and beyond, natural attrition aside.

The whole TAC system and quotas for each governmental jurisdiction has evolved essentially because of Ontario's commercial gillnet fishery, which has tremendous catching power.

Rest assured that Ontario gillnetters will get their 2.5 million fish this year. Large, toughly-built gillnet tugs run in all weather. Northeasters and even monstrous 15 to 18-foot seas do not stop them from "pulling twine," unlike sport- fishing boats that typically are pinned down for safety's sake by four to six-foot or larger seas.

"We won't even come close to the quota," acknowledged Knight of Ohio's allotment of nearly 3 million walleye. Last year Ohio sport anglers took just 859,000 walleye when the state quota was 1.23 million. But if the fishing this year is good, especially with lots of 2003 fish available, and word get around and interest surges, that catch possibly could
double this year.

"It's a cap," Knight said of the annual TAC. It does not mean that the total should be met
every year. Commercial walleye fishing in Ohio waters has been banned by law for more than 20 years.

"Quality fishing is the goal," Knight added about Ohio's strategy in regard to its quota and regulations. For instance, the 15-inch length minimum is expected to eventually help boost the number of larger walleye in the overall stocks, and larger walleye in turn are known to prefer the central-basin haunts in summertime. The central-basin walleye fishery, it is noted, has suffered for lack of fish in recent summers.

Knight noted that during the last several years of conservative catch restrictions and a very low TAC, about 15 percent of the lake's walleye stock was taken each year. Under the new TAC policy and models developed by the LEC, about 14 per cent of the lake's walleye stock will be taken in 2005, "if we hit it." So while the TAC seems so much higher, the percentage of the stock targeted to be taken is essentially the same. And even low stocks can produce bumper crops of fish, as witnessed by the super 2003 year-class.

The newly developed LEC approach, moreover, will react quickly to "droughts" or series of poor hatches, Knight said. "Hopefully with this [harvest] policy we'll avoid getting as low as we did."

In related news, the LEC set the yellow perch quota for Ohio at 5.4 million pounds out of a lakewide total TAC of 11.8 million pounds. That is a slight increase of the state's 2004 quota of 5.1 million pounds. Ohio's daily sport-creel limit of 30 perch remains in place.

The lake's perch stocks continue to show improvement, this after declines in the early to mid 1990s led to conservation restrictions for that species. Those measures, too, have worked.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Pollick is The Blade's outdoor writer
» E-mail him at spollick@theblade.com
» Read more Steve Pollick columns at www.toledoblade.com/pollick

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050417/COLUMNIST22/504170332