Contacting the
Office:
Julie Morin, Acting Native American Specialist
e-mail: Julie_Morin@fws.gov
BHW Federal Building
One Federal Drive
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
Phone: 612-713-5108
Fax: 612-713-5280
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Ashland FRO Contributes to Implementation of 2000
Consent Decree
Biologists at the Ashland Fishery Resources Office (FRO)
completed a summary of Fiscal Year 2001 accomplishments and a
work plan for Fiscal Year 2002 activities related to the
implementation of the 2000 Consent Decree. The 2000 Consent
Decree formally describes co-management responsibilities
related to fishery resources in the 1836 Treaty ceded
territory of lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Ashland FRO
biologists plan activities and coordinate management
assistance provided to the tribes and Michigan Department of
Natural Resources in coordination with biologists from Alpena
and Green Bay FROs and Service's Regional Office staff.
Workload allocation, staffing, equipment availability and
sharing, and preparation for a whitefish aging training
session were all discussed. Other activity related to the
2000 Consent Decree included earlier offers to the Bay Mills
Indian Community and Michigan DNR for aging fish. Statistical
catch at age models used to determine annual harvest for lake
trout and lake whitefish rely heavily on fish aging and the
timely completion of samples collected. Samples of lake
whitefish scales were received from Bay Mills Indian
Community and will be aged by staff at Ashland FRO.
Offices Involved: R3-Alpena FRO R3-Green Bay FO
R3-Ashland FRO
Partners: Bay Mills Indian Community Michigan
Department of Natural Resources Chippewa Ottawa Resource
Authority
Fish Aging Techniques Subject of Michigan Workshop
Fisheries Biologist Adam Kowalski
and Fisheries Technician Lori Betcher (R3-Alpena FRO) attended a fish
aging class
sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
(MDNR) Marquette research staff Jan. 22-23 in Marquette,
Mich. Organizations attending included the Little Traverse
Bay Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan Department of Natural
Resources, Bay Mills Indian Community, and Keewenaw Bay
Indian Community. The class focused on the aging techniques
for lake whitefish and lake trout, but also touched on perch.
Aging techniques included aging using calcified structures;
including scales, otolith, and fin ray. Aging using otolith
was performed with two techniques; one was the crack and burn
method where the otolith was cracked in half and burned to
highlight the annulus, the other method performed was
polishing the otolith and looking at it under a microscope
connected to a computer using the Optimus software for fish
aging and a Wallis filter. These two procedures were used for
whitefish and lake trout. Fin rays for all species mentioned
were prepared by sectioning the ray using a Dremel tool,
placing drops of vinegar on the section to highlight the
annulus and looking at it under a dissecting microscope. The
technique of pressing scales was also demonstrated. Scales
impression on acetate slides are viewed on microfiche and an
eber- bach. The Alpena Fishery Resources Office (FRO)
currently does not have the equipment to view otolith on the
computer or the wallis filter. This equipment is going to be
essential for aging fish with better accuracy in the future.
Also the eber-bach for viewing scales is not available at the
Alpena FRO but would also make aging whitefish and lake trout
easier and more accurate. The workshop offered an opportunity
to improve aging skills and learn different methods of aging
whitefish and lake trout in the great lakes area. Computer
software and filter offered a more accurate approach to aging
white fish and lake trout using otoliths. Other equipment
such as eber-bach also made aging using scales and
impressions easier and more accurate. These items are
currently unavailable at the Alpena FRO. This workshop
allowed for insight to this equipment that if purchased will
make aging whitefish and lake trout at the Alpena FRO easier
and more accurate.
Partners: agencies that attended the class include:
Little Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, Bay Mills Indian Community,
and Keewenaw Bay Indian Community
Service Partnerships Highlighted in Tribal Publications
Recent activities conducted
as partners with tribes in Region 3 were highlighted in several tribal
publications.
Articles and photos depicting the tribal/Service activities
were printed in the Red Lake Nation News (Vol.11 Issue 4),
Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority News letter (Vol.4 No.4)
and the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS)
Quarterly publication Eagle''s Nest (Vol.14 Fall 2001).
Articles included: a framed signed print of the Brandenburg
Prairie Poster presented to Chairman Whitefeather in
appreciation of the first tribal hosting of an ecosystem
meeting; Service recognition of Faith McGruther, Regional
Director (Great Lakes Region NAFWS) for her leadership and
organizational efforts in support of the resource conference
for the past eight years with a signed framed copy of the
Brandenburg Foundation ""Prairie Poster'; and the
historic and quiet ceremony conducted by Dwight
""Bucko"" Teeple, Pipe Carrier from the
Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan, as he stood on the
shores of the wetland harboring an experimental flock of
eight endangered whooping cranes and used the traditional
pipe and burned sacred tobacco to spiritually bless the
cranes as they began their migration flight.
Offices Involved: R3-Neal Smith NWR, R3-Necedah
NWR, R3-External Affairs
Resource Outputs: Service Cooperative activities
with tribal partners are an important part of managing the
nation's natural resources. These cooperative efforts become
more visible and gain greater visibility when the outcomes
and results are carried by both partner agencies. It is
important to strengthen the partnership ties between resource
cooperators and having the tribal news outlets carry the
Tribal/Service stories is a critical link.
Partners: Red Lake Nation MN, Bay Mills Tribe MI,
Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority
Notes: The tribal cultural and spiritual relevance
to our crane recovery project adds a partnership dimension
and establishes a GPRA link for tribal Partnerships. The
crane blessing was the only tribal involvement for the
migrating cranes. An attempt to have tribal involvement on
their arrival did not occur.
Service and Bay Mills Indian Community Conduct Lake
Whitefish Survey in Northern Lake Huron
From June 17 through June 27,
staff from the Alpena Fisheries Resource Office and Bay Mills Indian
Community in
Brimley, Mich., conducted a lake whitefish survey in 1836
Treaty waters of northern Lake Huron. The goal of the survey
was to collect fishery independent population abundance and
biological data of whitefish stocks. This data will be used
in statistical-catch-at-age population models that are
updated annually to determine harvest regulation guidelines
for tribal commercial fishers in 1836 Treaty waters. The data
collected in this survey will improve the accuracy of current
population models being used to set lake whitefish harvest
guidelines in 1836 Treaty waters of northern Lake Huron. Good
data collection and model development is essential to sound
and sustainable management of the lake whitefish resources in
northern Lake Huron. The biological data collected will also
improve our understanding of the relative health of whitefish
stocks in northern Lake Huron. As dictated in the 2000
Consent Decree -- a 20 year fishery allocation agreement for
1836 Treaty waters signed by the State of Michigan, United
States, Bay Mills Indian Community, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa
Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Little
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians -- the Modeling
Subcommittee of the Technical Fisheries Committee annually
collects data and conducts models to determine whitefish
harvest regulations for five management units in northern
Lake Huron. Lake whitefish is the central component to the
Native American commercial fisheries in 1836 Treaty waters.
This recent survey was designed to gather data needed to set
harvest guidelines. Using both Service and Bay Mills Indian
Community research vessels and staff, 22 overnight gill net
sets were conducted at randomly selected sites in whitefish
management unit 4 (Alpena to Presque Isle) and whitefish
management unit 5 (Presque Isle to Hammond Bay). All
whitefish collected were measured, weighed, checked for
lamprey wounds, sexed and assessed for maturity and visceral
fat content. Scale samples were taken from each fish for age
determination and stomach contents will be identified and
counted by staff the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
in Ann Arbor, Mich. This study will continue annually and be
adapted to meet future data collection needs. All data from
this study will be compiled and maintained at the Alpena
Fisheries Resource Office.
Partners: Bay Mills Indian Community, Brimley, MI
Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, Ann Arbor, MI
Service Biologist Attends North American Lake Trout
Symposium
Fishery biologist Aaron Woldt
of the Alpena Fisheries Resource Office attended the Symposium on the
Ecology,
Habitat, and Management of Lake Trout in North America from
August 14th to 17th in Whitehorse, Yukon. The symposium
brought state and federal management agencies and researchers
together to share jurisdictional management approaches,
problems, and recent developments regarding lake trout stocks
in North America. As co-chair of the Modeling Subcommittee
(MSC) of the Technical Fisheries Committee (TFC), biologist
Woldt gave two oral presentations and was a co-author of
another. The TFC is a committee of representatives of the
seven parties to the 2000 Consent Decree that oversees Decree
implementation. The 2000 Consent Decree is a 20-year
negotiated agreement that allocates fish stocks in 1836
Treaty waters of the upper Great Lakes among parties. The MSC
annually updates lake trout and whitefish population models
and calculates yearly harvest limits. Woldt''s first talk was
a plenary address describing the current status and
management of lake trout stocks in Michigan waters of the
Great Lakes. Special emphasis was placed on the
interjurisdictional nature of Great Lakes lake trout
management. Woldt provided Lake Huron data, and data from
lakes Superior and Michigan were provided by Jory Jonas and
Shawn Sitar of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The talk highlighted contributions from all resource agencies
conducting lake trout research in Michigan waters of the
Great Lakes. These agencies include the Service, Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, Chippewa/Ottawa Resource
Authority, Unites States Geological Survey-Great Lakes
Science Center, Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little Traverse Bay
Bands of Odawa Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians,
and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Woldt''s
second talk focused on the current status and management of
lake trout in northern Lake Huron. The talk highlighted the
workings of the MSC and TFC and described how the MSC uses
statistical-catch-at-age models to monitor progress towards
rehabilitation for lake trout stocks in 1836 Treaty waters. Conference attendees provided constructive feedback that
should aid our stock assessment and modeling efforts. Valued
discussion topics included the following: how to better
estimate natural mortality, the affects of hooking mortality
in live release fisheries, and the importance of
incorporating all stake-holder input into resource management
decisions.
Resource Outputs: The symposium was a great
opportunity to present the modeling approaches of the MSC and
the status of lake trout stocks in 1836 Treaty waters to a
wide audience with experience in lake trout management.
Conference attendees provided constructive input on lake
trout management and rehabilitation that should aid our
rehabilitation efforts in the Great Lakes.
Partners: Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority, United States Geological
Survey-Great Lakes Science Center, Bay Mills Indian
Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa
Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Little
River Band of Ottawa Indians, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians
Alpena and Ashland Fisheries Offices Assist Bay Mills
Community with Lake Superior Whitefish Survey
From July 15 - 19 and from Aug.
5 - 9, staff from the Alpena Fisheries Resource Office assisted staff
from the
Ashland FRO and Bay Mills Indian Community in conducting a
lake whitefish survey in 1836 Treaty waters of Lake Superior.
The goal of the survey was to collect fishery independent
population abundance and biological data of whitefish stocks.
The data will be used in statistical-catch-at-age population
models that are updated annually to determine harvest
regulation guidelines for tribal commercial fishers in 1836
Treaty waters. Similar lake whitefish surveys were also
conducted in treaty waters of lakes Michigan and Huron in
2002. Field staff from Alpena assisting with this survey
included Biologists Aaron Woldt, Adam Kowalski and Tracy
Hill, MV Togue Captain Mike Perry and Biological Science Aid
Jeremy Stevens. Gill net sampling gear used in the survey was
built and mended by Biologists Kowalski and Emily Zollweg.
The Ashland FRO formally requested assistance from Alpena in
July due to the large number of sites needing to be sampled
and the inability of the Michigan DNR to contribute to the
sampling effort this year. Alpena supplied their vessel, crew
and sampling gear and completed 12 overnight gill net sets at
randomly selected sites in whitefish management unit 7
(Whitefish Bay to Little Lake Harbor) and whitefish
management unit 6 (Grand Marais to Blind Sucker River). At
the request of the Ashland FRO and BMIC, Biologist Aaron
Woldt of the Alpena FRO also selected locations of the
survey''s 52 randomly selected gill net sites according to
the survey protocol established by the Modeling Subcommittee
(MSC) of the Technical Fisheries Committee (TFC). The TFC is
a committee of representatives of all parties to the Year
2000 Consent Decree charged with overseeing implementation of
the Decree, and the MSC is a technical committee charged with
conducting stock assessment and generating harvest limits for
1836 Treaty waters. Woldt forwarded coordinates of all
netting sites and Arc View GIS maps of netting locations to
the Ashland FRO and BMIC prior to the start of the survey.
Offices Involved: R3-Alpena FRO, R3-Ashland FRO
Resource Outputs: The data collected in this survey
will improve the accuracy of current population models being
used to set lake whitefish harvest guidelines in 1836 Treaty
waters of Lake Superior. Good model output is essential to
sound and sustainable management of the lake whitefish
resource in Lake Superior, and lake whitefish is the central
component to the Native American commercial fisheries in 1836
Treaty waters. The biological data collected will also
improve our understanding of the relative health of whitefish
stocks in Lake Superior.
Partners: Ashland FRO, Bay Mills Indian Community
