Future of Lake Whitefish and Lake Trout Populations in The Great Lakes Mark P. Ebener Inter-Tribal Fisheries and Assessment Program Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority
Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
Geographic Range North America
Why Care about Whitefish & Lake Trout Because they taste good!!!!!!!!!!! Pan-Fried Whitefish Grilled Lake Trout
Presentation Outline 1.Population Status 2.Habitat Issues 3.Species Interactions 4.Allocation Issues
Topic Not Covered but Important Asian Carp Climate Change Contaminates Dreissenids & Cladophora
Population Status
Millions of kilograms Whitefish Commercial Yield Great Lakes 1867-2004 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 Ontario Erie St. Clair Huron Michigan Superior 4,000 2,000 0 1867 1879 1891 1903 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 Year
Millions of pounds Commercial Harvest Lake Trout Great Lakes, 1879-2006 25 20 15 10 Superior Michigan Huron Ontario Erie 5 0 1879 1899 1919 1939 1959 1979 1999
1836 Treaty Ceded Waters
Statistical Catch at Age Analysis Jim Bence Mike Jones Bill Taylor Travis Brenden SCAA blender Jim
Millions of fish Whitefish Abundance 1836 Waters Millions of Age-4 and older 1976-2012 70 60 50 Michigan Huron Superior 40 30 20 10 0 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012
Definition of Recruitment: Addition of new fish to the vulnerable population by growth from among smaller size categories
Millions of fish Whitefish Recruitment 1836 Waters Millions of Age-4 fish 1976-2012 25 20 Michigan Huron Superior 15 10 5 0 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012
Millions of fish age-4+ Lake Trout Abundance 1836 Waters Millions of Age-4 and Older 1975-2012 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 Michigan Huron 1.5 1.0 0.5 Superior 0.0 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011
Millions of fish Lake Trout Recruitment 1836 Waters Millions of Age-4 fish 1975-2012 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Michigan Huron Superior 0.0 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011
100,000d kilograms Lake Trout Spawning Biomass Lake Huron Main Basin 1984 to 2012 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Stocked Wild 0.0 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011
Age-7 CPE/R Relative Survival Stocked Lake Trout Lake Huron 1973-2005 year classes 1.5 1.2 Measure of sea lamprey & fishing mortality Measure of Post-stocking survival 0.9 0.6 0.3 0 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003
Protocol for Reducing Lake Trout Stocking Lake Huron 1) Relative survival of stocked yearlings cease when falls below specific level for 3-5 yr 2) Recruitment of wild fish 10 age classes at stable or increased abundance 3) Abundance of adult fish should be at or greater than 2002-2004 levels
Habitat Issues
Lake Trout Spawning Grounds
Larval Whitefish Habitat
St. Louis Estuary Menominee River Dog River Whitefish River Historic & Present-day Tributaries with Whitefish & Trout Spawning Montreal River St. Marys River Extirpated Present Muskegon River Detroit River Maumee River
Dip-netting Whitefish in the Rapids Sault Ste. Marie, circa 1901
St. Marys River Rapids 2014
Whitefish Seine Fishery Detroit River 1800s to 1920
Livingston Cut Construction Detroit River 1910
Restoration Lake Whitefish Detroit River (Roseman et al. (2012) Advances in Limnology 63)
Species Interactions
Ice Conditions on the Great Lakes 2013-2014
5-yr Avg Sea Lamprey Abundance Great Lakes 1985-2013 (GLFC website)
Mark per fish Marks per Fish MH-1 Northern Lake Huron 0.07 0.06 0.05 All data Fall only 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.01 0 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010
Number stocked Lake Trout Stocking MH-1 Lake Huron 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0.5 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 (blank) Superior Seneca Ontario Lewis Lake Lake Ontario Jenny Lake Clearwater 0 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 Year
Sea Sea lamprey mortality Lamprey Mortality Age 5+ & Proportion Seneca Northern Huron 1977-2008 0.50 0.45 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 R² 0.3752 R² = 0.6201 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Proportion Seneca stocked
Cisco (Coregonus artedi)
Salting and Packing Cisco
Millions of kilograms Cisco Commercial Yields 1872-2004 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 Ontario Erie Huron Michigan Superior 0 1872 1892 1912 1932 1952 1972 1992 Year
Chesson's alpha Lake Trout Prey Selection Through Time in Lake Superior 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Rainbow smelt 0.0 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Coregonids Sculpin Stickleback Salmonids Burbot 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 1985 1990 1995 2000 Error Bars 95% CI 2005
Association of Tagged Lake Trout to Cisco Schools Lake Openongo, Dunlap et al. (2010) TAFS 139
Cisco Abundance Western Arm 2006 Oct 2006 10.7 MIL Nov 2006 63.7 MIL
Lake Whitefish Winter Diet Stockwell et al. (2012) Gill net, trap net, or angling samples (one date/month)
Cisco Eggs vs Macro-invertebrates Prey Availability Biomass Energy 35% 18% kj/g wet: 10.3 4.4 3.5
% Lipid Whitefish Percent Lipid Data 60 50 40 30 20 10 Cisco Eggs Mysis Diporeia LWF Muscle LWF Liver 0 Nov Dec Jan Mar Apr May
Conclusions from Stockwell et al. Cisco eggs significant % of available benthic prey in nearshore areas during winter Important prey source for lake whitefish 79% of energy consumed over winter 35% of energy consumed on annual basis Historic coupling replaced by non-native species throughout the Great Lakes? Additional benefits to cisco rehabilitation
Allocation Issues
1836 Treaty-Ceded Waters In State of Michigan Negotiated Settlements Tribes/State/Feds 1985 2000 2020 2040? Allocate fishery resources Establish joint management Set harvest guidelines
Commercial Trap Net Fishing Oscoda, Lake Huron
Ice Fishing for Whitefish Southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan
The Future 1. Reduce levels of whitefish harvests Lake Huron 2. Increased contributions of tributaries to whitefish 3. Continued rehabilitation of tributary habitat 4. Reductions in lake trout stocking Lake Huron 5. Promote recovery of cisco lower lakes
Quantitative Fishery Center MSU Dr. Jim Bence Dr. Travis Brenden Dr. Mike Jones
The End
Millions of pounds Commercial Yields MH-1 1929-2012 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 Lake trout Whitefish 0.0 1929 1949 1969 1989 2009
Marks per 100 fish Species-Specific Sea Lamprey Marking MH-1 1984-2011 30 25 20 Cisco Whitefish Lake trout 15 10 5 0 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011
Percent of lamprey Lamprey Host Selection Lake Superior 1969-1978 (Johnson & Anderson 1980) 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% Other Sucker Burbot Cisco Herring Whitefish 0% <200 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Sea lamprey length (mm) Lake trout
Fish Health
VHS - Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia -
Omega-3 FA in Whitefish Muscle 25 Big Bay Naubinway Cheboygan Detour 25 25 25 20 20 20 20 15 15 Females 15 15 10 10 10 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 25 Big Bay Naubinway Cheboygan Detour 25 25 25 20 20 20 20 15 15 Males 15 15 10 10 10 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TIME_CODE Fall 2003 Spring 2005 Fall 2003 Spring 2005
Swimbladder Nematode Cystidicola farionis
Consumption (kt) Estimated Consumption of Prey Fish Main Basin Lake Huron 1984-2010 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Chinook Salmon Lake Trout Whitefish