LAKE HURON COMMITTEE

Thunder Bay, ON
18,19 March 1998

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – 24 March draft

1. St. Marys River Fisheries Task Group

Jim Weybrandt (MDNR) will lead a St. Marys River Fisheries Task Group.  A meeting will be called shortly.  (OMNR has suggested angler diaries.)

2. Sea Lamprey Management Plan for Lake Huron

The LHC invited Terry Morse (USFWS) and Rob Young (DFO) to lead development of a Sea Lamprey Management Plan for Lake Huron – to meet targets.

3. Resumption of Lake Trout Stocking in Northern Grids

The LHC will resume lake trout stocking in northern grids.  An opportunity to manage harvest will come in 2000 with renegotiation of the consent order.

4. Effects of St. Marys River Sea lamprey Treatment on the Fish Community

The LHC will review management practices such as stocking for needed accommodations in response to the St. Marys River sea lamprey treatment.

In order to determine natural reproduction rates, the LHC will investigate clipping of all stocked chinooks.  OMNR will talk to CFIP about clipping.  The LHC will discuss with Ed Rutherford (U. of M) potential for chemical analysis of otoliths to determine natural reproduction rates.

5. Stocking Humpers at Yankee Reef

Michigan DNR requested a white paper for a 6,7 April meeting on the possibility of stocking humpers on Yankee Reef in 2003.  Eshenroder will work with MDNR researchers Dick Schorfhaar and Jim Peck.

6. Bioenergetics Model Development

Dave Reid (OMNR) will scope with Jim Bence (MSU) possibilities for expanding the bioenergetics model to include Georgian Bay and the North Channel.  One possibility was for Jim Bence (MSU) to work with Bryan Henderson (OMNR).

7. Environmental Objectives

The LHC strongly supports development of environmental objectives.  Dave Reid and Dave MacLeish (OMNR) will map a process of “biteable chunks”, and publicize same.

8. Task Prioritization for Technical Committee

Dave MacLeish (OMNR) will draft technical committee task prioritization with timelines for LHC consideration in a conference call.

9. Prey Assessment Protocol

Guy Fleischer (USGS-BRD) will draft a prey assessment protocol for LHC consideration.

10. Cage Culture

The LHC referred to CLC for discussion, Technical Committee recommendations on cage culture:

12. Disease Assessment in the Private Sector

 The Technical Committee will write the Great Lakes Fish Health Committee re the need for regular disease assessment in CFIP hatcheries.

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