Fishery News Stories Basin Report is a monthly on-line publication  Prior Basin Reports
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| March-April Edition |
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  This now places Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin on equal footing in regard to Lake Michigan salmonid quotas Indiana returned to a 5 trout and salmon daily bag limit when they allowed their Emergency Rule (that implemented the same 5-3-2 bag limits as in Illinois) to expire at the end of 1996. Illinois has also submitted a change to Administrative Rule 810 to allow for the harvest of 5 trout and salmon daily during the 1997 fishing season. The daily catch limit will be 5 trout or salmon, either singly or in the aggregate, of which not more than 2 can be lake trout.
Under the proposed regulation, the daily limit would be three trout and salmon in combination, which may include no more than two rainbow trout (including steelhead), one Atlantic salmon and one lake trout in take Erie and the upper Niagara River. In the lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, up to three lake trout could be taken as part of the three-fish combination.
Experts from Eurasia and North America will discuss ruffe infestation and its implications for North America at the First International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Eurasian Ruffe, Mar. 21-23, at the Sheraton Inn in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Although some natural reproduction occurs for chinook, lake trout, and especially for rainbow trout, OMNR data suggests that abundance of naturally produced rainbows has decreased since 1991. This could affect the sport fishery, in which 25% to 30% of the rainbow harvest is of naturally produced fish. Lake trout natural reproduction appears to be on the rise. During 1995, 89 naturally produced juvenile lakers were captured, compared to 11 in 1994.
Incidental chinook salmon capture rates were 0.55 per net-night in October and 0.42 per net-night in November. The chinook ranged in size from 20" to 33".
Since the inception of the study on July 11, 1996 the incidental catch was comprised of a total of 1,875 lake trout of which 1,510 were judged to be dead and 115 chinook salmon of which 104 were judged to be dead.
The beginning of pre-season stocking of legal size trout on or about March 1 of each year is an important
sign of Spring. From about March 1 until April 11, the PFBC will stock millions of adult trout in Pennsylvania
waters. The Pre-season stocking schedule is presented for the information of Pennsylvania's anglers.
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 DEC to Increase Lake Ontario Chinook Stocking
"This increase was in response to concerns expressed by many sport fishing interests
that the previous chinook salmon stocking level had not produced the fishing
opportunities expected by Lake Ontario anglers," Barnhart said. "
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will stock
more than 3.5 million trout: and salmon into New York waters of Lake Ontario during
1997, DEC Acting Director of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Gerry Barnhart
announced today.
New York will stock 1.6 million chinook salmon in 1997, a 52 percent increase from
the 1996 base stocking level of 1.05 million.
 The US Coast Guard issued a proposal Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Prevention of Collisions Between Commercial and Recreational Vessels in the South Passage of Lake Erie, 33 CFR Part 165 [CGDO-96-017]. The Coast Guard is considering a number of options for changes in navigational and fishing rules in the area known as the "South Passage" around the Bass Islands in western Lake Erie.
Wisconsin Sea Grant releases Dioxin Study
The Headline read
"CAUSE FOUND FOR GREAT LAKES TROUT REPRODUCTION FAILURE"
leaving many confused on the issue of natural reproduction of great lakes lake trout and other salmonids A study released by Richard E. Peterson, a toxicology professor at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy and Wisconsin Sea Grant showed data suggesting that dioxins and related chemicals may have contributed to the extinction of lake trout in Lake Ontario prior to 1960 and to the recruitment failure of stocked lake trout since then. Peterson described how dioxin contributed to survival of sac fry in early development stages, however, inconsistent with Peterson's findings, healthy lake trout fry have been collected in Lake Michigan, and other great lakes, from time to time for nearly twenty years.
 Despite EPA's threats to release it's own advisory, Michigan stands behind Science Boards findings.
Based on the results of its review of the available information, the MESB Panel concludes that the
data presented by the ATSDR and USEPA do not alter the original findings or conclusions
presented in September 1995 by the MESB - CGLG Special Fish Advisory Panel. In particular, the
recently published Jacobson and Jacobson (1996) data, which indicates that the fetus is more
susceptible than adults to potential harm from fish consumption.
RULE BOOK LISTS WRONG PERCH LIMITWisconsin's new fishing regulation book is bound to cause confusion for Lake Michigan's yellow perch anglers. The new regulation book, which will become effective Apr. 1, 1997, correctly lists the perch fishing season as being closed during the month of June, yet it incorrectly states the daily bag limit is 25. The Lake Michigan daily bag limit is 5 fish.
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New York 
First 
An Ongoing study by the IDNR showed incidental capture rate for lake trout was .061 per net-night in September, 3.99 per net-night in October, and 5.29 per night in November.
Normal lake trout sac fry 
Lake trout sac fry exhibiting blue sac disease symptoms after
exposure to dioxin (TCDD) in laboratory tests. Note deformed skull and excess
fluid in yolk sac. Hemorrhaging is also evident as dark blotches in the fry's body.