Mass Marking and Management of Great Lakes Fisheries T. Newcomb and K. Smith Michigan Department of Natural Resources M. Staggs Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources D. Stang New York Department of Environmental Conservation American Fisheries Society Meeting San Francisco, September 2007
The Great Lakes Covers 95,000 square miles 2 nations, 8 states, one Canadian Province, 13 Native American tribes More than 36 million people live in the basin
Great Lakes Fisheries State-licensed commercial and recreational fisheries Tribal fisheries Invasive species Restoration of lake trout, sturgeon, walleye and others Stocked and naturalized salmonids
Implementing A Joint Strategic Plan for Management of the Great Lakes Great Lakes Fishery Commission Management Committees Council of Great Lakes Fishery Agencies Lake Committees (5) Technical Subcommittees (each lake) Council of Lake Committees Law Enforcement Committee Great Lakes Fish Health Committee
Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries Goal: To secure fish communities based on self sustaining stocks, supplemented by hatchery-reared fish, and to provide optimum contributions of fishing opportunities and associated benefits.wholesome food, recreation, cultural heritage, employment & income, and a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
Fish Species and Life Stages Stocked in the Great Lakes Species and Hybrids Lake Trout Brook Trout Splake Chinook salmon Coho salmon Rainbow trout Brown trout Atlantic salmon Life Stages Fry Spring Fingerling Fall Fingerling Winter Fingerling Yearling
> 54 Hatchery Facilities Involved Wisconsin - 15 (14 state, 1 federal) Pennsylvania - 13 (5 state, 7 Coop, 1 federal) Michigan - 9 (6 state, 2 federal and 1 tribal) Ontario - 7+ (7 provincial and many Coop) New York - 4 + (state) Indiana - 2 (both state) Minnesota - 2 (both state) Ohio - 1 (state) Illinois - 1 (state)
Average Annual Number of Fish Stocked in the Great Lakes Species Millions Chinook salmon 11.0 Lake Trout 8.3 Steelhead 7.4 Coho salmon 3.1 Brown Trout 3.0 Total 32.0
Challenges to Management and Decision Making Status of natural reproduction Fluctuating stock parameters Balancing predator abundance with prey populations Hatchery inventory 00 00 00 MH3456 MH2 MH1 00 00 00 0 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2
Research/Management Questions Level of salmonid natural Do reproduction? growth and survival rates vary spatially and temporally? Rates of straying or inter-lake exchange of stocked fish? Performance of stocked fish Age-composition validation
Current Approaches to Answering Questions are Problematic Time delays Differing abilities to address coordination due to fiscal or personnel limitations
Pursuing the Mass Marking Initiative Scientific Needs Technological Needs Policy Hurdles Building Support Funding
Tagging and Hatchery Considerations Will sizes of various species/life stages stocked in the Great Lakes work with the mass marking system? What problems with disease transmission have resulted when equipment is shared between facilities? Will lake trout use the volitional entry system?
Tag Recovery-Reporting and Agency Coordination Should recovery of coded wire tags be centralized or de-centralized? Tag decoding? Who will be responsible for data entry, quality, and error checking? Will agencies be willing to commit personnel and resources to this activity? Who will conduct data analyses and write reports?
Council of Lake Committees Policy Issues Ownership/maintenance of trailers Staffing for trailer operations Coordination of the program Sources of funding Contracting Data collection agreements Central database management
Building Support Reconnaissance team (2003) Demonstration Project (2004) Develop white paper (2005) Funding Task Group/Implementation Task Group (2005) Implementation scoping (2006-2007) Pursuit of Federal Funding(2006-2007)
Demonstration Events Platte River Hatchery, MI Iron River Hatchery, WI Invitees include: Great Lakes Congressional Delegation, Governor, NRC Commissioners, Director, Citizens Advisory Committees, stakeholder groups and fisheries agencies personnel
Information Sharing and Database Management is KEY!!! If you biologists and managers in the Great Lakes cannot develop and implement a system for processing tag data and making the information readily available in a reasonable time frame, then do not even bother purchasing the system. (or bother us with the request for support)
Implementation Task Group Task 1 Design an implementation plan that refines marking logistics, mark recovery and information management strategies Task 2 Design strategy for coordinating hatchery operations by evaluating logistics and costs associated with implementing mass marking
Implementation Task Group Activities Secure grant from GLFC Database Development Hatchery Visits Head Recovery Plan Head Shop
Hatchery Logistics Four Areas of Operation Green Bay - MN, WI, IL (3 auto & 1 manual) Charlevoix - MI, IN, OH (3 auto & 1 manual) Alleghany - NY, PA (2 auto & 1 manual) Ontario - (2 auto & 1 manual) ID Electrical Needs needs to be done almost all hatcheries Coordinate Hatchery Visits and Marking days ID Staff Needs Each Hatchery
Head Shop and Database Management Central Processing Shop Receive data and heads other agencies Staff also marking fish Question of one shop or multiple shops
Mass Marking Needs for the Great Lakes Basin $9.5 million for equipment 10 auto trailers 4 manual marking trailers Detection equipment Hatchery electrical modifications Fish pump $4.5 million for operations
Funding Task Group Task 1 Develop and implement a strategy in consultation with the CLC to secure funding from the U.S. and Canadian governments for implementing mass marking of trout and salmon stocked in the Great Lakes. Task 2 Create a MOA among strategic plan members for the most effective and efficient use of the mass marking trailers.
Funding Group Activities Project proposal for funding under Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act Informational materials for Congressional Representatives Visits to D.C. with Great Lakes Delegation Individual state efforts
Achievable Goals with Mass Marking in the Great Lakes Better hatchery inventories and products Improved decision making Timeliness in addressing resource issues Staffing efficiencies Transparency with stakeholders
Acknowledgements Charles Bronte, USFWS Mark Ebener, CORA Gary Whelan, MDNR Jim Markham, NYDEC David Clapp, MDNR David McLeish, OMNR Great Lakes Fish Commission Staff: Allison Niggemeyer, Marc Gaden, John Dettmers, Chuck Krueger, Chris Goddard