Yesterday, as the temperatures climbed, the ice pushed, and the crack in front closed up. But there is no doubt now the ice has broken loose from the shoreline. It will only be a matter of time before it starts to move around when we get a strong wind. It still is about 15-16 inches thick, so if it does push on shore somewhere, it could do some damage.
I left off on my comments about the proposed Walleye Regs for Mille Lacs this coming summer and some history that I know of before the “treaty management” that started approximately 20 years ago. In the summer of 1992, we had a big angling harvest. About ten years later, 2002 a similar event happened: the Walleye population was larger than their food supply, and the bite on Opening Weekend that year showed it. I went fishing with a couple of friends that Saturday for the Walleye Opener (one of the few I could do while owning the marine business). That morning, we caught and released over 60 Walleye and kept our limit based on the harvest slot. By the end of the month, the MNDNR imposed our first slot restriction on harvest and narrowed it down dramatically.
That was the change I had mentioned earlier in the DNR Fisheries views. Before the Treaty, the policy was to let them fish until it would balance out on its own. The natural process that had worked with angling was thrown out the window because of a shared harvest quota and one group using nets. Everyone knows that a net takes a finite number regardless of population density when harvested during spawning. Angling is only predictable based on the food supply. Surprisingly, this cycle seems to reoccur every ten years despite changes in harvest numbers, water clarity, and invasive species. But as I said, I am no fisheries biologist.
Over the last twenty years, Anglers have had to bear the brunt of the changes in harvest numbers and quotas. At the same time, the Bands take a more significant percentage of their harvest quota every year because of the nets. Anytime the angler’s harvests came in below the quota, the surplus was lost and unable to be used in the future. But if it was exceeded, they were penalized. In my opinion, the entire process needs to be reviewed, and harvest quotas need to be established based on a population ratio of people sharing the resource. Or, just put everyone involved in this on the same page with the same set of laws to abide by. Take the politics out of the resource and manage it for all. When the decision came down from the Supreme Court 20-some years ago, they left it up to the State and the Bands to work it out. We have tried it for the last 20 years, and it only seems to work well for one party. It’s time to try a different approach. But with the Bands and Casino’s in this State backing the current Governor and Staff, it will not change. The MNDNR fisheries people are doing their best with an agreement they are forced to comply with. (which could be renegotiated if the State of Minnesota went to court and called for that). The blame shouldn’t be focused on MNDNR. The leadership at the Capitol is where the focus should be. Change that, and there’s a chance.
Keep a Tight Line!
Eddy
click to enlarge