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The latest update on Australia�s crime control

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in:

 ►Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 %

 ►Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 %

 ►Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 % (yes, 44 %)!

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 %. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them

in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!  While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

Report Highlights Fishing�s Broad Economic and Conservation Impact

Anglers� expenditures have a significant impact on the nation�s economy

Recreational fishing is more than just a getaway for millions of Americans. As an industry, it provides a living for countless people in businesses ranging from fishing tackle and accessories manufacturing to travel and hospitality to boat manufacturing. According to a new report on fishing statistics, published by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), when expenditures are multiplied by

America�s nearly 40 million anglers, their dollars have a significant impact on our nation�s economy.

Sportfishing in America: An Economic Engine and Conservation Powerhouse highlights how fishing not only endures as an activity that permeates social and economic aspects of Americans� lives, but also plays a huge role in the country�s successful conservation movement.

America�s nearly 40 million anglers spend over $45 billion per year on fishing equipment, transportation, lodging and other expenses associated with their sport. With a total annual economic impact of $125 billion, fishing supports over one million jobs and generates $34 billion in wages and $16 billion in tax revenues each year. The average amount anglers spend yearly on hooks, rods, lures and other fishing tackle increased 16% from 2001 to 2006.

A number of reports strongly indicate that fishing is identified by American families as one of the best ways to spend quality time together. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, fishing as a leisure-time activity ranks higher than playing basketball or softball, skateboarding, jogging or hiking. Substantially more than any other groups, anglers

support the nation�s conservation efforts through the Sport Fish Restoration Program. Special taxes on fishing gear and motorboat fuel channel hundreds of millions of anglers� dollars to state fish and wildlife conservation and recreation programs each year.

The analysis is based on data from the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, conducted every five years on behalf of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies by the Census Bureau and the USFWS. Sportfishing in America was produced for ASA by Southwick Associates, Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Additional economic facts about sportfishing:

► The nearly one million jobs supported by anglers are almost three times the number of people who work for United Parcel Service in the U.S.

► The amount of federal tax revenues generated by angler spending in 2006 - $8.9 billion - is roughly equal to the entire 2006 budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

► In 2006, the top 10 states with residents who fished, based on the percentage of population, are: Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, Idaho, Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi.

► In 2006, the top 10 states that attract the highest number of non-resident anglers are: Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, South Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, New York and Texas.

► In 2006, the total days of fishing in the U.S. equaled 1,289,300 years of fishing.

► The not-so-lowly catfish is pursued by nearly seven million anglers, more than the population of Arizona, Massachusetts or Washington.

► All the dollars spent by anglers, attached end to end, would reach to the moon and back � nine times!

U.S. Senate Passes Farm Bill

Conference Com to reconcile House, Senate versions

The U.S. Senate on December 14 passed the 2007 Farm Bill. The legislation is crucial in helping to sustain America's rural economy and improve fish and wildlife habitats. "We are pleased that the Senate was able to make progress on the Farm Bill and pass the legislation with strong bi-partisan

support," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General

Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "The Farm Bill is vital to conservation efforts and, in the end, to our industry." A conference committee is expected to begin to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill early next year, and President Bush has threatened a veto of the legislation because of spending concerns.

Anglers Report why Great Lakes fishing is declining

Cite preference for fishing other locations; better or more convenient

Since 1991, the number of anglers in the U.S. has been on a gradual decline. The USFWS reports angler numbers nationally have decreased approximately 15 %, or about one percent annually. However, the drop in the Great Lakes has been severe, with a 44 % decline in anglers since 1991. In December 2007, AnglerSurvey conducted a survey of 1,724 anglers to find why people are fishing less in the Great Lakes.

Of those surveyed, 355 Great Lakes anglers were identified. Of those who do not fish as often in the Great Lakes as they used to, they were asked why. The major reason for people not fishing in the Great Lakes was a preference for fishing in other locations. Forty-two percent of the anglers cited this reason. Other areas may offer better fishing or other areas are more convenient, etc. Anglers were not asked to specify why they prefer fishing outside of the Great Lakes or where they now fish.  Only four percent of respondents reported not 

having time to fish, while less than one percent reported health warnings on consuming fish was a reason for fishing less.

�This poll starts to give us insights into why Great Lakes fishing is declining. We�re sure there are many complex trends all combining to impact fishing. We now have a starting point towards learning why,� said Rob Southwick, President of Southwick Associates, the company operating the monthly AnglerSurvey.com service. �By learning why fishing is declining, efforts can be made to help reverse the trend.  Anglers contribute $1.2 billion each year via fishing licenses and excise taxes on fishing tackle. These funds are legally dedicated to conservation. Maintaining fishing is critical to protecting the environment.�

AnglerSurvey.com is a monthly national online survey of sportsmen and women providing industry and policymakers with information on fishing trends and activity.  For more info, contact Rob Southwick at [email protected]

Survival of Chinook Salmon in Lake Huron

The following report "Causes of Variable Survival of Stocked Chinook Salmon in Lake Huron" was just released last week and is the final research report on early survival of Chinook salmon in Lake Huron covering 1991-2002.  The 58 page document does not cover the 2000-2004 OTC marking study; that will be covered in a different report.  This is a research document that reports on the findings of a particular intensive

study on chinook salmon.  Net pen survival is one of the items covered in this report.

For more info or questions, go to Jim Johnson at the Alpena Fisheries Research Station, [email protected]  or 989-356-3232. To review the full report, go to: www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/RR2086_219958_7.pdf

Alewives rebound in latest Lake Michigan forage fish survey

By Kevin Naze

If there's anything positive that can come out of a survey that found the fewest Lake Michigan forage fish in more than 30 years, it's that alewives are holding their own.  Though at numbers well below the long-term average, alewives � the favored forage for the big lake's multimillion-dollar salmon and trout sport fishery � were up about 18 percent over the fall 2006 survey, which was one of the three lowest ever.

Chuck Madenjian, a research fishery biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center, said scientists believe there were 30 kilotons of prey fish in the lake last fall. That's more than 66 million pounds, but about half of the 2006 estimate. The biggest drop was in bloater chubs, only at about 1 percent of their high two decades ago. Deep-water sculpin numbers also plunged, and smelt numbers � already very low � declined more.

On the other hand, the volume of quagga and zebra mussels increased about 13 percent, to 245 kilotons. That adds up to more than 500 million pounds of mussels. "It's almost all quagga mussels now, not many zebras," Madenjian said. "Some trawl catches had over 1,000 pounds of mussels in."

The specially equipped boat � about 75 to 80 feet long, Madenjian said � annually surveys the bottom off seven ports, including Sturgeon Bay and Port Washington off the Wisconsin shoreline. Tows are done every 60 feet of depth,

starting in 60 feet of water and ending in 360 feet of water. Ten-minute tows that take only a few minutes to lift at shallower depths can take nearly a half-hour at the greatest depths.

Whitefish and yellow perch will eat the smaller mussels as part of their diet, but it's not enough to stop the growing mussel population from filtering out phytoplankton important to small fish and invertebrates. "There's a lot of doom and gloom talk these days," Madenjian said. "People are really concerned. But I do think it would be a mistake to put all the blame on the mussels. There maybe were too many salmon in the lake, and bloater populations could be somewhat cyclic. Let's see what happens."

Some commercial fishermen don't think bloater numbers will come back, but Madenjian is not so sure. The population was lower in 1976, he said, prompting an emergency closure. As for the alewives coveted by salmon and trout � and the anglers who seek them � Madenjian said the most common length seen in the trawls was between 5 and 6 inches, likely from a strong 2005 year class.

Still, alewife numbers were lower only three times since the survey began in 1973. "The overall trend is smaller size (of salmon)," Madenjian said. "With the states stocking fewer, the numbers might come down some, but it depends on natural reproduction, too."

(Naze is field editor for the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council)

Game Commission Begins Drafting Regulations for Wild Boars

HARRISBURG - In response to a recent state Supreme Court ruling, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe directed staff to begin developing regulations to allow the incidental taking of wild boars during certain hunting seasons.  The draft regulations are expected to be ready for the Board of Game Commissioners to consider as part of its Jan. 29 meeting agenda.

"On Dec. 27, a Supreme Court ruling, in effect, classified wild boars as 'protected mammals,'" Roe said.  "Prior to the court's ruling, the Game Commission had no regulatory oversight or authority for wild boars.  Now, we are seeking to clarify and appropriately regulate the protection of wild boars that was put in place by the court."

Roe stressed that wild boars are not native to the Commonwealth and are classified as an invasive species by the Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council.

"Wild boars found in the state are either domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boars, descendants of European and Asian hogs, or hybrids of these species that have escaped or been released," Roe said.  "They should not be confused with the javelina, or collared peccary, which is native to the southwestern and southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

"Wild boars may weigh more than 400 pounds and are very

prolific; they can produce litters of 8 to 12 young and can have two litters per year.  They are extremely destructive to crops, wildlife habitat and the environment, and they are a danger to wildlife and domestic animals and a threat to the pork industry, especially since they are carriers of diseases and parasites that can infect livestock, wildlife and humans."

As wild boars were not considered "wildlife" prior to the court's ruling, Roe said that hunters had been permitted to take them without regard to state hunting laws or regulations.  However, with the ruling in place, wild boars are protected and may not be killed until the Game Commission takes action to implement a regulation to allow such action.

Roe also noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council are sponsoring research in Pennsylvania. The Wildlife Services Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Game Commission are collaborating to trap wild boars and collect blood and tissue samples. Wild boars captured as part of these surveillance programs are not returned to the wild, they are humanely dispatched.

A Pennsylvania task force also has been established to locate feral hog populations and help address the concerns caused by their presence.