Stakeholders Discuss Lake Huron Fishery

In collaboration with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other fisheries stakeholder groups, Michigan Sea Grant facilitated a series of workshops in April 2005 examining the status and future of Lake Huron’s fishery.

The fishery has undergone marked changes in recent years following the introduction of aquatic invasive species, a rapid decline in alewife, and fluctuating populations of Chinook salmon. Sport anglers, charter captains and resource managers were among nearly 400 people who attended the workshops, which provided an opportunity for in-depth analysis of some of the
major fisheries and food web concerns in Lake Huron.

“It’s important that stakeholders are aware of these fishery changes that are occurring in Lake Huron and have an opportunity to engage in discussion about these changes with researchers and managers,” says Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator Brandon Schroeder, who facilitated the workshops.

Michigan Sea Grant facilitated stakeholder feedback during the meetings and synthesized comments, which were then provided to the DNR Fisheries Division, Lake Huron Citizens’ Advisory Committee and other partners. The stakeholder meetings represented a key component of fishery stakeholder engagement as a part of the agency’s decision-making process related to salmon stocking and management in Lake Huron.