Some Native American tribes will soon be giving up gill net fishing inthe Great Lakes. In an agreement with the federal government the tribeswill continue to fish, but use other equipment. The Great Lakes RadioConsortium’s Lester Graham reports… it’s part of an effort to reduce the number of lake trout killed by the nets:
Transcript
Some Native American tribes will soon be giving up gill net
fishing in the Great Lakes. In an agreement with the federal government the
tribes will continue to fish, but use other equipment. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports, it’s part of an
effort to reduce the number of lake trout killed by the nets.
Under the agreement, five tribes that fish in Lakes Michigan,
Huron, and Superior will give up gill nets and convert to trap nets. Gill
nets have been blamed for indiscriminately catching and killing game
fish such as lake trout not intended to be part of the catch. The State of
Michigan bought out commercial trap net fishing operations, and by this fall
the state will give those boats and nets to the tribes. Tom Gorenflo is with
The Chippewa -Ottawa Treaty Fisheries Management Authority.
“At least a third to a half of the gill net effort in lakes
Michigan and Huron will be eliminated by the conversion program. So it will
be a big chunk that will be gone.”
Despite agreeing to the deal, many tribal fishers say they
don’t really believe the gill nets have hurt lake trout repopulation
efforts. They say the real problem is the sea lamprey, a parasite which kills as
much as 70-percent of young lake trout. Other tribes will continue to
use gill nets. For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Lester Graham.