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January 13, 2003 |
Product Review - Mil-Comm Lubricant Products
Indiana State record walleye disqualified - Anglers question legality of safety and security regs
Wisconsin DNR Smelt hearing - Whitefish regs also under review
Michigan Gillette Visitor Center hosts lake sturgeon program
Help needed from Amphibian enthusiasts - help monitor Indiana frog populations
Michigan application period for the 2003 spring wild turkey hunting season underway
Minnesota Fishing Report - Fishing Hot Spots for the week of January 13, 2003
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Short to retire from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Assistant director, Fisheries to leave March 1 Assistant director, Fisheries USFWS Cathy Short announced on January 7, she will retire from the Service March 1
In an e-mail to select business associates listed as "friends" in her e-mail she stated "on March 1, 2003, I will be joining my husband, Hank, in retirement and moving to the Southwest. I can't yet imagine waking up in the morning and not going to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."
Having served in FWS for some 25 years, Short's background, education and expertise was primarily in ecological services, with the Region 5 Hadley, MA office. Having little or no fisheries background, Short was appointed to head up the fisheries section of USFWS by former FWS director Jamie Rappaport Clark, a Clinton appointee. Short was involved in many contentious issues, most of them beyond her level of expertise, however that did not dissuade her actions.
One of them, a few short years ago, was the actions taken by a local group of anglers and citizens from |
Henderson Harbor, NY who elected to do the job FWS was queasy about �thinning out cormorant populations on Little Galloo Island. in eastern Lake Ontario.
Short wrote a news release and described their activities: "The USFWS, expressing revulsion at the senseless slaughter�We are appalled at this horrible act�was especially disgusted by the nature of the Little Galloo killings�The slaughter of adult birds at their nesting sites is particularly inhumane" and "The ignorance displayed by this killing..."
Click http://www.great-lakes.org/message.html for full article "Conservation Management takes a wild turn - who to blame? USFWS culpable, but covers backside with indignation and moral outrage"
Neither her demeaning rhetoric nor her presence in the Service will be missed, and the angling and hunting communities will breathe a sigh of relief with her retirement. |
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National Fisheries Conference Set The USFWS will host the first National Fisheries Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, January 20-24, 2003. The conference is expected to draw 450 fisheries program leaders, federal, regional and state and other invited partners to exchange ideas and to talk about the program's new Strategic Vision that is designed to lead America's fisheries program into the 21st century.
Invited speakers include Vice President Dick Cheney, Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Service Director Steve Williams. The conference begins with an evening reception |
on January 20 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, at 2500 Calvert St., NW.
The Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council has been invited and will be participating.
Visit the conference web site at www.ifw2irm2.irm1.r2.fws.gov/fishery/natlfishconf/index.html for the full agenda and other details. Contact: Ken Burton, 202/208-5657, [email protected] or Craig Springer, 505/248-6867, [email protected] |
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Indiana State record walleye disqualified - Anglers question legality of safety and security regs A giant walleye caught recently from Lake Michigan will not be accepted by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a new Indiana state record.
The 14.47-pound walleye was caught Dec. 11 by Scott Hoswell of Frankfort, Ill. while fishing from a boat in the Port of Indiana. The 32.25-inch long fish was about a quarter pound heavier than the standing record walleyes taken in 1974 from the Kankakee River and 1977 from the Tippecanoe River.
In the process of verifying the new record, DNR officials learned from Hoswell that the fish was taken from a boat while fishing inside the Burns International Harbor, commonly known as the Port of Indiana. The harbor is a commercial port facility operated by the Indiana Port Commission. For safety and security reasons, recreational boats are not permitted within the harbor. A DNR public fishing site is located within the harbor for shoreline fishing, but there is no public boat launching ramp at the site and fishing from boats is prohibited.
However, serious questions are being raised about the propriety and legality of establishing a safety and security zone in the Port of Indiana, when there is unrestricted movement by shore anglers in and about the port. The GLSFC is also questioning the economic propriety of killing a first-class fishery that has the potential for establishing other state records and to generate economic benefits for a state that has a $2 billion budget deficit. It's like killing the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg.
We are reminded of another foolish and poorly thought-out regulation (there are many) by Michigan outlawing the use of the drop shot fishing technique. The technique of Drop-shotting is a new method of catching bass first introduced in the southern states, but it�s catching on in the Midwest, too. But it�s not legal in Michigan. Their fishing regulations prohibit snagging in Michigan, and the same regs also makes the drop- |
shot rig illegal for fishing in Michigan waters. Michigan is another state struggling with a burgeoning budget.
Most Great Lakes states prohibit snagging, but the drop-shot rig is not illegal. Michigan�s fishing regulations booklet states anglers can not �have a weight suspended below any hook unless the hook is on a dropper line of at least 3" long.�
The drop-shot rig involves tying a hook onto the main line, putting a soft plastic lure on the hook, and adding a sinker to the end of the line, below the lure. The rig is designed to have an angler suspend a lure off the bottom, but Michigan calls it snagging.
"Indiana's record fish entry rules require that a fish be legally taken to be eligible," said Bill James, DNR Chief of Fisheries. "We appreciate Mr. Hoswell's honesty and his skill as an angler. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept an entry that did not comply with all relevant laws and regulations, including watercraft rules."
DNR conservation officers advised Hoswell of recent changes to the law that restricts boats from venturing past the entrance of the breakwall at the Port of Indiana. No citation was issued. Indiana Port Commission rules do permit private craft, including fishing boats, to enter the Port "as a harbor of refuge." However, the rules specify that "No person shall launch a boat or fish from a boat in the port area."
Despite the disqualifying technicality, James is enthused about the catch and future walleye fishing prospects. "It's a pretty safe bet that this wasn't the only state record walleye in southern Lake Michigan," he said."Sooner or later I expect to see another one landed that will meet all the requirements for a new record."
A photo of Hoswell and his catch is available at: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/stuff/gallery/recd.htm |
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Michigan BOW program offers hunter safety class to women The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program is sponsoring an all-women's hunter safety class in conjunction with the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center at Mitchell State Park in Cadillac.
The two-day class, scheduled for Jan. 25-26, is open to any female, 18 years and older, who wishes to attain a hunter safety certificate necessary for hunting. All hunters born on or after Jan. 1, l960 must have this certificate or proof of a previous license to purchase any Michigan hunting license.
The class will meet each day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Upon successful completion of the course, each participant will receive a hunter safety certificate. The class is presented free of charge, but participants should bring |
their own sack lunch. Class size is limited to about 30 participants and pre-registration is required by calling Rick Torres, park interpreter and class instructor, at 231-779-1321.
"These classes are a good way for women to familiarize themselves with firearms and how to handle them safely, even if they don't intend to hunt," said Lynn Marla, DNR BOW coordinator. "This is important information for single mothers, for example, who may not be interested in hunting, but whose children may be going out to shoot with relatives."
The Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program is a hands-on, outdoor skills program for women who wish to enjoy all that Michigan has to offer. For information on other programs scheduled for women throughout the state, contact Lynn Marla, BOW Coordinator, at 517-241-2225 or [email protected] |
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Help needed from Amphibian enthusiasts - help monitor Indiana frog populations To monitor Indiana frog and toad populations Speculation of a nationwide decline in frogs and toads has prompted the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to ask Hoosiers to leap into action.
The DNR is looking for volunteers to participate in the Indiana Amphibian Monitoring Program. Volunteers are needed to listen for frogs and toads from late February through July, the breeding seasons of Indiana's amphibians. Surveys are conducted at night, usually after rainy days, or on misty nights, when frogs and toads give their breeding calls. Information collected by volunteers will help DNR biologists better understand the distribution and abundance of amphibians in Indiana.
Volunteers must attend a training workshop in order to participate in the survey. Past participants are also required to attend. Each training workshop covers Indiana's 16 frog and toad species, their calls and breeding habitats, setting up surveys, and recording data.
Registration is not required to attend a training workshop. Attendees are asked to bring pen and paper to the workshop. Participants must be 18 or older. Anyone interested in volunteering is urged to come to a workshop and sign up for a survey route.
The Indiana Amphibian Monitoring Program is part of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) by the U.S. Geological Survey. Two survey methods will be utilized starting this spring: national routes and stationary sites. National routes are driving routes that take one to two hours to complete, not including drive time to the survey area. Stationary sites are completed at frog and toad breeding sites. Surveys are repeated three times during the breeding season. Internet access is required to participate in the program.
Information on Indiana's Amphibian Monitoring Program is available online at: http://www.IN.gov/dnr/fishwild/endangered/naamp/nindex.htm
Training workshops: |
North Judson Saturday, Feb. 22 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Kankakee Fish & Wildlife Area 4320 W. Toto Rd. 574-896-3522 http://www.IN.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/kank.htm
Ft. Wayne Saturday, Jan. 25 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne Classroom Medical (CM 159) Park in Lots 7 and 9
West Lafayette Saturday, Feb. 15 2 - 4 p.m. Morton Community Center 222 N. Chauncey 765-775-5110
Indianapolis Saturday, Jan. 18 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Holiday Park Nature Center 6349 Spring Mill Rd. 317-327-7180
Petersburg Monday, Jan. 27 7 - 9 p.m. Pike County 4-H Building Hornaday Park 812-354-6838
Versailles Saturday, Feb. 1 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Versailles State Park Box 205, U.S. 50 812-689-6424 |
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Michigan application period for the 2003 spring wild turkey hunting season underway Apply online at www.michigan.gov/dnr or visit your local license agent. For complete details, see the Michigan Spring Turkey Guide at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/03sprturkey_51743_7.pdf
The current hunting regulations are established to maximize hunting opportunity while maintaining high quality hunting experiences. As a result of the continuing growth and expansion of the turkey population, the Michigan DNR has increased turkey hunting opportunities again this spring during the April 21 - May 31 season. A total of 43,920 licenses are available for the general limited quota hunt periods.
Hunters again have the option of applying for Hunt Unit ZZ, which includes all private-land units in southern |
Michigan. Hunters who draw this license may hunt the first two weeks of the season on private land anywhere in the unit.
If you're looking for the greatest hunting flexibility, check out the guaranteed hunt period (Hunt No. 234 -- May 5-31) that includes all open areas, except public lands in Unit ZZ. New this year, Hunt No. 234 may be purchased online or from license agents during the Jan. 1-Feb. 1 application period. Individuals who select this option will not be charged the application fee. Hunters also may select this hunt as a second choice on their application.
The 2003 spring wild turkey hunting season promises to be another good one, weather permitting. Don't miss it. Apply online today.
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GLERL Ballast treatment Seminar A seminar on Ballast Water Deoxygenation will be held at the GLERL Main Conference Room, 2205 Commonwealth Blvd, Ann Arbor, on Thurs, January 16. The seminar: "Ballast Water Deoxygenation Can Prevent Aquatic Introductions While Reducing Ship Corrosion" will begin at 10:30 AM
Co-sponsored by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL), the U of Michigan Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER), and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, Dr. Mario N. Tamburri, Chief Scientist of Alliance for Coastal Technologies, Chesapeake Biological Lab, U of Maryland Center for Environmental Science will describe a treatment that can dramatically reduce the survival of most organisms found in ballast waters while providing economic benefits to ship owners.
Tamburri states "Purging of oxygen from ballast tanks with nitrogen was recently found to be a cost-effective technique for reducing corrosion and therefore extending ship life. We tested the tolerance of larvae of known |
invasive species to low levels of oxygen, comparable to those resulting from this anticorrosion treatment, and detected significant levels of mortality."
One of the most important mechanisms for the introduction of aquatic nuisance species is transport in ship ballast waters, and while several ballast tank treatments to prevent transport of aquatic organisms appear promising, all existing approaches will result in significant costs to the shipping industry. Tamburri will describe an economic treatment that can dramatically reduce the survivorship of most organisms found in ballast.
Two separate literature reviews further support the conclusion that few organisms will be able to withstand extended periods of exposure to nitrogen treated ballast water. This novel deoxygenation technique may therefore have direct benefits to both marine conservation and the shipping industry.
Contact: Dr. David Reid, 734-741-2019, [email protected] |
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PA Sea Grant to Host Fish Tumor Conference The PA Sea Grant will host a Fish Tumor Conference January 21-22, at Gannon U, Waldron Center, Erie, PA. Sponsored by USEPA Region 3, & PA Department of |
Environmental Protection, the purpose of the conference is to refine and coordinate the standardization of protocols currently being used to evaluate this beneficial use impairment. For more info contact Eric Obert at [email protected] 814-898-6420 |
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