Developing Research Priorities for Lake Whitefish in the Upper Great
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DEVELOPING RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR LAKE WHITEFISH IN THE UPPER GREAT LAKES: RESULTS OF A WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY THE GREAT LAKES FISHERY TRUST AND GREAT LAKES FISHERY COMMISSION Michigan State University February 27-28, 2018 Michigan Sea Grant Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3 Workshop Proceedings ................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 Workshop Goals and Desired Outcomes ............................................................................. 4 Presentations ....................................................................................................................... 4 Impacts of Whitefish Decline on the Tribal Commercial Fishery ..................................... 4 Lake Huron Lake Whitefish Status and Trends ................................................................ 5 Lake Michigan Lake Whitefish Status and Trends ............................................................ 7 Lake Superior Lake Whitefish Status and Trends ............................................................. 8 Lower Trophic Levels ........................................................................................................ 9 Factors affecting recruitment to fisheries and management implications ................... 11 Survey of Lake Whitefish Research in the Upper Great Lakes: 2007-2017 ................... 13 Facilitated Discussions ....................................................................................................... 13 Management Option Information Gaps ..................................................................... 16 Prioritization ............................................................................................................... 18 Next Steps ................................................................................................................................. 20 References ................................................................................................................................ 20 Appendix 1: Workshop Attendee Contact Information ................................................................ 21 Appendix 2: Compiled Research Activities ................................................................................... 25 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 26 Methods .................................................................................................................................... 27 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 27 References .................................................................................................................................... 30 Enclosures ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Enclosure 1: List of People Contacted for Participation in Survey ........................................... 33 Enclosure 2: Survey Form ......................................................................................................... 35 Enclosure 3: Summary of Aggregated Survey Responses ......................................................... 36 Enclosure 4: Individual Survey Responses, Grouped by Lake ................................................... 40 Enclosure 5: Individual Survey Responses, Grouped by Purpose of Study .............................. 51 Appendix 3: Annotated Bibliography ............................................................................................ 67 2 Executive Summary Lake whitefish stocks have declined dramatically in northern Lakes Huron and Michigan, resulting in commercial catch rates and yield that are some of the lowest in the past three decades. The exact cause(s) for these declines are uncertain, but prolonged poor recruitment seems to be a primary driver of the observed decreases in stock size. Fishery management agencies are struggling to understand why recruitment has been so poor, while also recognizing that management actions are needed. In the short term, a synthesis of existing data that explores possible mechanisms explaining observed trends in lake whitefish recruitment and where the recruitment bottleneck may be occurring is needed because some management decisions are expected to be made before new research is completed. These data are largely comprised of state, provincial, tribal, and federal agency fishery-dependent and fishery- independent assessments that provide information about lake whitefish stock dynamics and are currently used to inform catch-at-age models. The single largest question managers have right now focuses on identifying those conditions that were historically favorable for lake whitefish recruitment in the mid-1990s and understanding what role invasive species and disease, most notably dreissenid mussels, round goby, and VHS, coupled with ongoing nutrient reductions, have played in declining recruitment and year-class strength since the mid-2000s. Workshop participants identified a series of potential management risks, management options, and information gaps that could be considered for future research to inform management, with a discussion culminating in the development of a list of short- and long-term research needs. Workshop Proceedings Introduction Lake whitefish stocks in northern lakes Huron and Michigan have sustained important commercial and subsistence fisheries during the past 30 years. However, lake whitefish stocks, and, along with them lake whitefish catch and catch rates, have declined substantially since 2013. At the same time, lake whitefish recruitment and harvest from Lake Superior has been relatively stable. Increasing concern from fishers and policy makers has led managers to recognize that action options must be collectively considered. With this background in mind, fishery managers approached the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (Commission) in fall 2017 to develop a workshop that would focus on a common set of research priorities that could then be addressed through funding by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, and other fishery research funding sources. The research priorities developed from this workshop, and the resulting research results, will assist fishery managers to determine whether or how any management actions can assist future recovery of lake whitefish stocks. 3 Workshop Goals and Desired Outcomes In February 2018, the Great Lakes Fishery Trust and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission hosted a workshop to understand recent trends in lake whitefish populations across the three upper lakes; engage fishery managers in discussion about important management risks they face; identify their needs to address those risks; determine information gaps; and develop possible priorities for research and management action. Participants representing state, provincial, federal, and tribal managers, biologists, and researchers, along with experts from academia, were invited to participate (Appendix 1). Workshop discussions were primarily focused on needs of fishery managers, specifically lake committee and Technical Fisheries Committee members. Expertise from other participants served as a valuable resource throughout the workshop. Presentations The workshop ran for 1.5 days and began with a description of the problem. Three presentations followed that gave an overview of stock status and recruitment trends on lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, with short discussions after each presentation. The session culminated in an examination of the similarities and differences of the three upper lakes. Additional presentations provided background on changes to lower trophic levels since 2000 and their current status; a summary of recruitment and possible management implications; and a recap of ongoing research. Day one ended with facilitated discussions identifying management risks and needs; during day two participants identified information gaps, then described and prioritized short- and long-term research needs. Presenters have permitted the sharing of their respective slide decks, which are linked to each presentation title. Impacts of Whitefish Decline on the Tribal Commercial Fishery – Tom Gorenflo (CORA) Gorenflo described the urgent need to address declines in lake whitefish recruitment, recognizing that those declines impact present management and will likely impact renegotiation of the terms of the Consent Decree in 2020. Lake whitefish is the mainstay of the tribal fishery and is important to the tribes both economically and culturally. The impetus for the workshop was to focus research so as to answer several questions including: 1) What are the causes of lake whitefish recruitment declines?, 2) What is the prognosis for ‘recovery’ of lake whitefish?, 3) What are feasible management options to pursue?, and 4) What are priority research, funding, and synthesis items that need to be pursued in the short- and long-term to inform management options? In 1979 a judge affirmed the right of the tribe to fish and self-regulate in the ceded waters