LAKE HURON COMMITTEE

Weber’s Inn
Ann Arbor, MI
20, 21 March 2000

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. The ‘Ageing Fleet”

The LHC will refer for discussion at the April meeting of the CLC the problem of the “ageing fleet”. MDNR, OMNR, USFWS and USGS alike are faced with ageing vessels that will soon need to be replaced. OMNR has no vessel on lake Superior. It would be useful to collectively decide on assessment, research and management needs, in order that these needs can be addressed as vessels are replaced. For example the CLC could write the USFWS re the desirability of offshore stocking and thus the need to replace the Togue.

2. State of the Lake Report

The LHC reviewed an outline for its 2000 State of the Lake Report, adding a report by Heather Enterline (USFWS) on coaster brook trout:

Introduction                                               Eshenroder/Ebener
        Background 
        Plankton
?
        Benthic ecology                                 Tom Nalepa
        Fisheries (commercial/sport)              Ebener/Mohr
        Openwater 
        Predators - 
                 lake trout                                 Woldt/Johnson/Reid
                 chinook salmon                        Johnson/Reid/Wright
                 walleye                                    Fielder/Mohr/Baker
                 burbot                                     Curtis
                 rainbow trout                           Reid
                 brown trout                              Reid
                 brook trout                              Reid
                 Atlantic salmon                         Reid
                 pink salmon (pinooks)              Reid
                 coho salmon                             Reid
         Prey fish –
                 rainbow smelt                           Argyle/Curtis
                 alewife                                      Argyle/Curtis
                 bloater                                      Argyle/Curtis
                 sculpins                                     Argyle/Curtis
         Sea lamprey                                      Morse/Young/Christie
                 changes in abundance 
                 control program changes since last report
                 predicted effects of St. Marys treatment
          Openwater Community Dynamics Model    Bence/Dobiesz
                 Coregonines - 
                             lake whitefish                   Ebener/Mohr/Curtis
                             deepwater ciscoes           Ebener/Mohr/Curtis
                             lake herring                      Ebener/Mohr/Curtis/Fielder
                             round whitefish                 Ebener/Mohr/Curtis
         Nearshore Community 
                            Walleye                             Fielder/Mohr
                             yellow perch                     Fielder/Mohr/Borgeson
                            northern pike                      Liskauskas/Fielder
                            muskellunge                        Liskauskas
                            cyprinids/baitfish                 Ebener/McClain
                            centrarchids                        Liskauskas/Baker 
                            Sturgeon                             McClain/Mohr/Baker
                            Recent exotics                    Bredin/McClain
          State of Habitat
                            Openwater                         GLERL
                            Nearshore                          Deni Albert(MDNR) 
                             Adjacent wetlands             Deni Albert
                             Connecting channels and (St. Marys Task Group)
                             Tributaries status of habitats as above
           Species Diversity                                 Curtis
           Genetic Diversity                                  Scribner/Burnham-Curtis/Liskauskas
           Fish Health                                          Wright
           Future Directions (FCOs)                     Ebener/Eshenroder/Johnson/Bence

The LHC also requested a report on sturgeon data with any recommendations on which streams are in need of the sea lamprey control sturgeon protocol. At the 2001 winter meeting, the LSC and LSTC could subsequently develop management and assessment recommendations for fish community objectives, lake trout rehabilitation guidelines, and coasters. Mark Ebener (COTFMA) volunteered to edit (after 2000).

The LHC referred to CLC questions re scheduling of the 2000 meeting and state of the lake conference, e.g. 1.5 day? between LMC and LSC? Sault Ste. Marie, ON. It was hoped that better attendance might result from scheduling the LHC state of the lake report between the meetings of the LMC and the LSC.

The LHC will consider at a later time the request that it present its state of the lake findings at a subsequent GLWQA State of the Lake Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC). There was concern re the extent of the time commitment every 5 years. 

3. Position Statement on Ballast Water Management

The LHC will provide comments to Chair John Schrouder (MDNR) on the draft position statement for ballast water management.

4. Yankee Reef Beam Trawl Monitoring

The LHC Chair will write the U.S. Geological Survey re the need for beam trawl monitoring of Seneca lake trout stocked on Yankee Reef.

5. USFWS Lake Trout Broodstock Program

While last minute changes in stocking location can usually be accommodated, Bob Adair (USFWS) requested 2-year lead time for changes in tags and numbers of each strain.

OMNR and USFWS will work on a plan for establishing a broodstock in the USFWS hatcheries of Parry Sound lake trout, with minimal mortality on this remnant stock. For U.S. import purposes, lethal sampling of 100 fish is usually required. 

6. Applying Bioenergetics Model to North Channel and Georgian Bay

Jim Bence (MSU) will train OMNR person (Lloyd Mohr?) in June on use of the bioenergetics model for one species (maybe chinook). OMNR person will add to bioenergetics model Georgian Bay and North Channel data for chinook, and then for other species.

7. Lake Huron Technical Committee Work Plan and Priorities

After adding sturgeon charge (with target dates) to the LHTC work plan matrix, the LHTC should review all target dates, assigning priorities to the 2000 state of the lake report and bioenergetics model charges. 

8. Environmental Effects of Sea Lamprey Barrier Control

The LMC will seek agency input on the current draft of the GLFC’s Policy and Guidelines for Placement of Barriers. 

9. Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation

The LHC requested that the LHTC review the MDNR lake strurgeon rehabilitation strategy for possible adoption in whole or in part. 

10. Sea Lamprey Management Plan

The LHC directed that the LHTC defer development of a sea lamprey management plan, and revisit question of need in 2005, e.g., costs and benefits of St. Marys River treatment, accommodating modest numbers of sea lamprey etc.

11. Environmental Objectives, proposed GLFC ‘Great Lakes Fish Habitat Conservation Committee’

The LHC will develop its environmental objectives through the ‘Great Lakes Fish Habitat Conservation Committee’, if established by the GLFC.

12. Stocking in the St. Marys River

The St. Marys River task Group was asked to develop a rationale for stocking and assessment. Refer to Colby’s GLFC Technical Report on walleye rehabilitation, and to M. Gatt’s (OMNR) findings and recommendations re selection and number of parents, spawning / mating (don’t pool milt), rearing / propagation (as natural and as short a time as possible), release (limit to carrying capacity), monitor / evaluate progress, use genetic guidelines (AFS book by Miller & Kapuscinski).