Fish Release Scaled Back

There’s a shortage of fish food in the Great Lakes, so Wisconsin and
three other states have agreed to reduce the number of Chinook salmon
released into Lake Michigan in the spring. The action comes because a
limited food supply in the lake could threaten other fish populations.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Patty Murray reports:

New Invasive Species Found

A new exotic species is invading the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports that this new invader has been causing problems for anglers:

New Study Disputes Mercury Risk

A new study from the University of Rochester has concluded that eatingocean fish with low levels of mercury doesn’t pose any serious healthrisks. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham has more:

Restocking Program Restores Walleye

At one time, the St. Lawrence River was home to some of the best walleye fishing in the world. But by the mid-1980’s, the spawning runs that once brought thousands of fish to this region had dropped off dramatically. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports, a group of local fisherman decided to tackle the problem themselves:

Gender Disparity Endangers Yellow Perch

Scientists in Wisconsin say among yellow perch, males in Lake Michigan outnumber females by 9-to-1. Such a gender disparity may be detrimental to the food chain. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lisa Labuz has more:

Id Cards Track Exotic Fish

As the Great Lakes fishing season gets into full swing, an"exotic" ID card is being distributed to sport anglers all over theRegion. Its part of an research effort to track the spread of twoexotic species—the Round Goby and the Eurasian Ruffe (rough). The GreatLakes Radio Consortium’s David Hammond reports:

Algae: The Missing PCB Link?

Toxic chemicals known as P-C-B’s haven’t been used in the U.S. for morethan two decades. But dangerous levels of P-C-B’s remain in the naturalenvironment and pose a threat to human health. To address this problem,scientists are trying to understand how these chemicals get into thefood chain. Now, a scientist at Northwestern University has found alikely answer. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkelreports:

Annual Sturgeon Spawn

Northeast Wisconsin is home to one of North America’s largest sturgeon populations. Every Spring, those sturgeon swim north from Lake Winnebago to spawn. The fish are huge, prehistoric-looking creatures. Some of them are more than six feet long and weigh a hundred pounds. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Nick Van Der Puy was there and has this report:

Spearfishing Season Opens Quietly

In Minnesota, State and Tribal Officials are breathing a cautious sigh of relief as the first season of treaty fishing gets underway. They were concerned that ugly confrontations would erupt as native fisherman began the spearfishing season. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports, things are quiet so far:

Female Hormones Found in Waste Water

Millions of American women rely on birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Millions more depend on replacement hormones to prevent symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and osteoporosis. Both medications contain a synthetic version of the female hormone estrogen. And now, researchers at the University of Mississippi found that some of that estrogen ends up in wastewater. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel has more on the potential effects: