Media Contact: Marvin Roberson, marvin.roberson@sierraclub.org,
906-360-0288
The Sierra Club Michigan Chapter today called on Michigan Department
of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh to put a hold on a proposed doubling
of the limit for brook trout in 10 streams in the Upper Peninsula. The agency announced a proposal to change
designation of the streams to a new category that would allow the taking of 10
brook trout per day per person. The current limit of five per person in the
both the Upper and lower peninsula has been in place for more than a decade.
The DNR proposal comes even though its own Fisheries Division
repeatedly indicated to the Natural Resources Commission that they were opposed
to changing the limit. In addition, a
large majority of the Coldwater Resources Steering Committee voted to support
the Fisheries Division position in their August meeting. This committee is
comprised of various stakeholder groups and charged with advising the DNR on
coldwater fisheries-related matters.
In addition, a DNR survey of UP anglers last summer indicated strong
support for keeping the limit at five. The department asked anglers to rate
their level of support for the existing five brook trout daily possession limit
and the proposed 10 fish daily possession limit -- 55% of respondents indicated they supported
the existing limit, compared to 17% that opposed the five fish limit. By
comparison, 28% of anglers supported and 53% opposed the 10 fish daily
possession limit.
“There is little biological evidence regarding how many brook trout
can be kept without harming sustainable population levels,” says Marvin
Roberson, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Forest Ecologist. “There is absolutely
no scientific reason that these limits should be different in the UP from the
Lower Peninsula.”
For many years, the fishing regulations for keeping brook trout have
been simple--five fish per day per person--but recently, a small but vocal
minority of UP residents including the two Natural Resource Commissioners began
agitating for the limit to be raised to 10 fish per day per person in the UP
only.
With no notice to the public, the Coldwater Resources Steering
Committee or stakeholders, the DNR announced on Oct. 15 a proposal to designate
10 streams in the UP in a new category allowing 10 brook trout per day per
person. The decision is proposed for Nov. 8, a little more than 3 weeks after
the announcement, with no opportunity for public comment.
“To make matters worse, the proposal indicates research on the effects
of the regulations will commence after
the regulations are changed,” said Roberson. “The DNR has no data on current conditions, and consequently will
have no ability to assess conditions and effects after the new regulations.”
Sierra Club Michigan Chapter urges DNR Director Keith Creagh to put
this proposal on hold until there can be a meaningful public input and dialogue
process, and until baseline data for the streams proposed can be collected and
success/failure criteria developed.
The Chapter also urges concerned citizens to contact Creagh at DNR-Director@michigan.gov or 517-373-2329 and DNR Fisheries Chief Jim
Dexter at dexterj1@michigan.gov or
517-373-3375. Tell them to put this proposal on hold until such public input
and research needs are met!
