A Description of the Commercial Fishery on Lake Superior in 2000

Mark P. Ebener

Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority

Commercial Fishery Harvest Lake Superior, 1867 to 2000

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1867 1877 1887 1897 1907 1917 1927 1937 1947 1957 1967 1977 1987 1997

Mil

lion

s of

Pou

nds

Suckers

Burbot

Salmon

Walleye

Yellow perch

Smelt

Menominee

Chubs

Herring

Whitefish

Siscowet

Lake trout

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

Whitefish

Lake trout

Siscowet Chubs

Herring Smelt

Price Per Pound, 1981-1999

Commercial Fishery Number of Licenses

1965 U. S. Waters = 542>all state or provincial

1999 U. S. and Canadian Waters = 350>mostly Native American

Changing Nature of Fishery

• 1960s Change in Philosophy by States – Commercial -------> Recreational

• 1970s Re-affirmation of Treaty Rights- re-allocate fisheries to tribes

• 1980s Modernization of Ontario Fishery- reduce # licenses & create ITQs

Commercial Fishery Regulations

• ITQs in Ontario• Harvest Limits (TACs)• Limit on number or length of nets• Minimum mesh size restrictions• Closed seasons, closed areas • Limited Entry• Species limitations• Limits on size and number of vessels

Ice Fishery

Small Gill Net Boat

Large Gill Net Tug

Trap Net Boat

Diagram of Commercial Trap Net

CORA Whitefish Fishery - 1981-1999

Statistic Small boat

Large boat

Trap net

Ice fishery

No. fish 178 232 539 96

Effort 7,600 15,800 4 3,200

CPUE 26 18 140 32

Depth (ft) 39 94 54 70

Nights 2 2 4 3

Commercial Fishery Harvest 1970-2000

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Mil

lion

s of

Pou

nds

Lake Trout

WhitefishHerring

Chubs

Smelt

All others

Location Principle Whitefish Fisheries

Apostle Islands

Thunder Bay

Whitefish Bay

Munising

Keweenaw Bay

North Entry Eastern Ontario

Effort Targeted at Whitefish, 1973-2000

Gill Net

Trap Net

0

5

10

15

20

1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998

Thou

sand

s K

ilom

eter

s of

Gill

Net

0

1

2

3

4

5

Thou

sand

s of

Tra

p N

et L

ifts

Whitefish Catch Rate, 1973-2000

0

40

80

120

160

1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998

Gill

Net

CP

UE

0

40

80

120

160

Tra

p N

et C

PU

ETrap net

Gill net

Change Gill Net Height - CORA

2828

36

3636

5050

50

75

1973-1977 1978-1983 1984-1990 1991-19980%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Percent of Effort

Years

Whitefish Catch Rate -Meshes Deep

28 36 50 750

1

2

3

4

5

Changes in Gill Net Twine Diameter

28

28

23

23

2323

2020

1973-1977 1978-1983 1984-1990 1991-1998

Years

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Proportion of Gill Net Effort

Lake Herring

Location of Principle Lake Herring Fisheries

Black Bay

Thunder Bay

Minnesota

Apostle Islands Keweenaw BayWhitefish Bay

Bloater KiyiShortjaw

Lake Superior Chubs

Small Mesh Gill Net Effort

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998

Kil

omet

ers

of G

ill N

et

Catch Rate Herring & Chubs, 1973-2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998

CP

UE

(kg

/km

)

Chubs

Herring

Wisconsin Comml Herring FisheryGill Net Mesh Sizes, 1974-2000

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998

Year

Per

cent

of

Eff

ort

3 inch

2 inch

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecMonth

CP

UE

75-150 ft

>150 ft

<75 ft

Lake Trout Catch RateLarge Mesh Gill Net Fishery

Large Mesh Gill Net Catch Rate,Lake Trout Forms, 1950-1998

1950 1960 1970 1980 19900

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Kilo

gra

ms

pe

r K

ilom

ete

r

Lean

Siscowet

wildhatcherywild

Summary

1) Size of fishery declining

4) Whitefish primary fishery, herring secondary

5) Gill net effort declining

6) Trap net effort increasing

7) Lake trout harvest declining

3) Prices declining or stable

2) Primarily Native American fishery