Commercial and sport fishing are very important to the economies of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.  The Great Lakes fishery is collectively valued at more than $4 billion annually, despite the following problems which have degraded the fishery over the past 100 years.

Water Pollution  The Great Lakes fisheries have suffered from several water quality problems, including persistent toxic substances such as PCBs, mercury and chlorinated organic pesticides, and excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.  (see Fox River Watch)]  The toxics result in fish consumption advisories throughout the region, and the nutrients cause large increases in algae, which foul nearshore areas and alter the food chain.  In some waters, fish are suffering from tumors, abnormal livers and thyroid glands, and reproductive abnormalities.

Walleye

On the Fox River and Green Bay, walleye tumors are promoted by the presence of PCBs.  Recent studies indicate that certain fish, such as Lake Trout, may have gone extinct in some of the Great Lakes because of dioxin and PCB contamination, which injures or kills newly hatched Trout fry.  More than a dozen species of native fish (chubs, herring, etc.) have become extinct on Lake Michigan alone, which may also be partly linked to this toxic effect.   Lake Trout stocking has countered some of this loss, but at great expense.

Wetland Losses   More than a century ago, the Bay of Green Bay was considered one of the top three commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes (along with the west end of Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay) because it was so productive.  Hundreds of commercial fishing companies and fish processing houses operated on the Bay shores.   Much of that productivity was due to the extensive marshlands of southern Green  Bay.  Scientists consider the Bay to be the largest freshwater estuary in the United States.  The bay water levels fluctuate due to a tide-like "seich" (pronounced "saysh") created by wind pressures on the bay.  Seiches push the Bay water into the marshes, then drain back out, creating a very active and fertile zone of fish habitat.  Because more than 90% of the wetlands have been filled in southern Green Bay, much of this productivity has been lost. 

Invasive Species  The Great Lakes are plagued with a wide variety of introduced or escaped wildlife from other parts of the world.  Some of these have become major pests, upsetting the ecological stability of the Lakes system and damaging the fishery.  These include:  Carp, zebra mussels, spiny water flea, white perch, phragmites, alewives, and sea lamprey.  Once they invade, it's impossible to exterminate them, so fisheries managers are forced to adapt.  Sea lamprey can be somewhat controlled by treating Great Lakes tributaries with a specific lampricide chemical, but for many other species no control measures are available.

Excessive Harvests  Prior to management efforts, the Great Lakes fishery was over-harvested, with the greatest commercial fishing harvests recorded in 1889 and 1899 at about 147 million pounds.   Excessive harvests have occurred periodically until recent years, when harvest quotas have been imposed on commercial fishing businesses, and creel limits have been set for sport anglers.

Take Action Today!

We need to address all the problems listed above, to preserve fishing in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.  Please visit our issues page for ideas on how you can help.

In 2000, a total of 1,688,201 people purchased Wisconsin fishing licenses, tags, permits and stamps, for a total cost of $24,045,475, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  Fishing is one of the things that makes our region a great place to live. 

The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for managing Wisconsin's fisheries and hatcheries, and enforcing fishing regulations and commercial harvest permits.  The fisheries program is funded partly through fishing permit fees, special taxes on fishing tackle, donations from private fishing clubs, some federal funds, and general state taxes.   The Wisconsin Division of Health works with the DNR to issue a Wisconsin fish consumption advisory.

 Wisconsin Fishing Links

• Fisheries Management - Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/
 
• Wisconsin Fishing Clubs and Associations

http://www.great-lakes.org/wi/clubprofiles.html
 
• Wisconsin Fishing Guides and Charters

http://www.anythingwisconsin.com/fishing.htm
 
• Hunt,Fish,Camp Wisconsin

http://www.huntfishcampwisconsin.com/Fishing.html
 
• Fish Wisconsin Online

http://www.fishwionline.com/

Lake Michigan Angler

http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/
 

Great Lakes Charter Association

http://www.great-lakes-charters.com/

Each state, or Canadian Province, regulates its own sport fishery, while negotiating with each other to set a uniform Great Lakes fish consumption standard for the region.  A number of U.S. Agencies assist states in fisheries management, including:

Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/fishtech.pdf
 

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

http://www.glfc.org/

• Fisheries and Habitat Conservation - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

file:///C|/Program Files/WS_FTP/CWAC/fisheries/index.html
 
• National Marine Fisheries Service

http://www.nmfs.gov/

• A Green Bay Fish History