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COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
NEWSLINE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NEWSLINE Abstract: Advisory/extension newsletter for keeping Great Lakes commercial fishing and aquaculture industries informed of relevant regulations, events, opportunities and workshops. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ruffe is a small but aggressive fish native to Eurasia. It was introduced into Lake Superior at Duluth, Minnesota in the mid 1980's in ballast water of an ocean-going vessel. Because the ruffe grows very fast, has high reproductive capacity, and adapts to a wide range of environments, it is considered a serious threat to commercial and sport fishing. It also has the potential to seriously disrupt the delicate predator/prey balance vital to sustaining a healthy fishery. The ruffe has thus far immigrated to Bad River, Wisconsin, and may soon be entering Michigan waters. So far, Lake Superior is the only place the ruffe is found in the Western Hemisphere. Once the ruffe escapes out of the Lake Superior Basin it will begin to spread throughout the North American continent. Many options are now being considered to halt the spread of
the ruffe farther eastward in Lake Superior. One option includes the possibility of using
chemical controls in the rivers around the Wisconsin and Michigan border which will hinder
the establishment of the new ruffe populations. Chemical controls that kill ruffe but
leave other Great Lakes species unharmed are being sought. To help keep ruffe from spreading to the other Great Lakes, the Lake Carriers Association developed voluntary guidelines for handling ballast water in Great Lakes ships. Under these guidelines, ships going to other Great Lakes are required to exchange ballast water in deep water west of a demarcation linebetween Ontonagon, Michigan and Grand Portage, Minnesota. To learn more about the ruffe and to help you differentiate it from other look alike species, you can request a Ruffe WATCH ID card and publications on Ruffe, and Differentiating Ruffe from Other Similar Fish Species from your nearest District Extension Sea Grant Agent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Biological Survey personnel working out of Ashland, Wisconsin began in late June a lake trout survey on Stannard Rock, located about 45 miles north of Marquette in Lake Superior. Lake trout at Stannard Rock are being surveyed for the first time since 1979. Surveys began in 1959, when lake trout populations were depleted from sea lamprey and commercial fishing, and continued until the population had recovered in the late 1970's. This year information will be collected on abundance, sea lamprey wounding, age, growth, mortality and the effect of increased sport fishing pressure. The data will be compared with survey results of annual inshore lake trout studies. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Test results show contaminants in two Lake Huron fish species -- whitefish and lake trout -- harvested by tribal commercial fishermen are within federal and state consumption guidelines, providing further evidence of successful regulations reducing the discharge of toxic substances into the Great Lakes. The Inter-Tribal Fisheries and Assessment Program (ITFAP), based in Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan, annually monitors fish species from Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Lake trout and whitefish were collected from along the north shore of Lake Huron in 1993 and sent to independent laboratories in Mississippi and Missouri for chemical analysis. These fish ranged in size from 17 to 28 inches. "The test results showed that levels of mercury, total PCBs and other organochlorines were substantially lower than both Federal and Michigan guidelines," said Tom Gorenflo, director of the ITFAP. "Whitefish were exceptionally low in contaminants, with mercury and PCB levels 10 times below consumption guidelines." Concentrations of several other organic contaminants were too low to be detected by laboratory analysis. Lake trout and whitefish from the Whitefish Bay area of Lake Superior were also tested for contaminants in 1992. "Contaminant levels varied only slightly between Lakes Superior and Huron," said Amy Owen, Environmental Scientist for ITFAP. "Mercury levels were slightly lower and total PCB levels Lake Huron, while the overall levels in both lakes were well within established guidelines for safe consumption of these fish species." For a copy of the report, contact Amy Owen at (906) 632-0072. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ojibway (Chippewa) people of the upper Great Lakes are important candidates for study because of their dependence upon fish as a food source and an important economic base. Therefore John Dellinger (Medical College of Wisconsin), Richard Hoffman (University of Minnesota-Duluth), Marty Kanarek (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Larry Brooke (University of Wisconsin- Superior) are studying fish consumption habits, body burdens, and neurobehavioral effects of several Ojibway tribal bands who reside in the Lake Superior region. The results of these studies are expected to indicate whether significant exposure warrants continued epidemiologic studies or alterations in lifestyles of the community members. During the first year, a questionnaire was developed and administered toapproximately 200 Native Americans primarily from Ojibway reservations at Grand Portage MN, Bad River WI, Keweenaw Bay MI, and Bay Mills MI. Twenty-eight volunteers completed the neuropsychologic evaluations and twenty provided blood and hair samples. The health fairs provided the most concentrated gathering and most successful forum for soliciting participation and administering questionnaires. Participation at the health fairs was appreciated by the tribes because of the valuable information provided to the tribal members. During year two these researchers will modify the data collection procedures to emphasize the health fairs and simultaneous collection of hair and blood samples from all participants who are willing. Fish collection for chemical analysis was completed from Bad River and Keweenaw Bay. Bay Mills fishemen have collected whitefish from Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. Currently, rodent bioassays are being performed to compare inland walleye that are primarily contaminated with mercury to Lake Superior fish that have both mercury and numerous organochlorine (e.g., PCBs, chlordanes, and DDT) contamination. There were complaints regarding the 40 minute questionnaire, and a simplified 25 minute questionnaire is being designed for use at the 1994 Health Fairs. Investigators plan to revisit Bad River, Keweenaw Bay and Bay Mills to solicit follow-up participation. Research will expand the data collection to at least two other reservations and their health fairs as funding and tribal approvals permit. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A recent investigation by Mary Burnham Curtis and Chuck Bronte of the National Biological Survey of bone morphology among Lake Superior lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) has produced an easily identifiable character that discriminates lean and siscowet lake trout. Identification of lean and siscowet lake trout has been a persistent problem for commercial managers, fishers, and law enforcement personnel in the Lake Superior community. Leans are recognized by their slender bodies and pointed snouts and generally inhabit waters less than 70 m deep. Siscowets are recognized by their deep bodies, high body fat content, and convex snout and generally inhabit waters greater than 50 m in depth. Ecological differences between these forms are widely recognized, but the differences do not confer unambiguous support for each as a discrete stock rather than an environmental variant. Leans and siscowets have supported commercial fisheries in Lake Superior since early settlement of the region. Restrictions imposed on commercial fishing of lean lake trout in the wake of severe population declines in the 1960's and 1970's were not accompanied by similar restrictions on the siscowet fishery. By the 1980's, siscowet populations were being targeted by commercial interests because of the reported health benefits of "Omega-3" fatty acids, abundant in siscowet lake trout. Attempts to evaluate the success of lean lake trout recovery and to limit the incidental or illegal capture of lean lake trout in the siscowet fishery prompted fishery managers to continue the search for methods that discriminate leans and siscowets in the field. Facial bones of lean and siscowet lake trout from Lake Superior were examined to determine if other physical characteristics, such as bone morphology, would provide additional and more substantial discriminators for field identification. Wild and hatchery-reared lean lake trout and wild siscowet lake trout were sampled from various locations around Lake Superior in United States and Canadian waters in 1988 and 1989. Leans were identified by their slender body and snout shape; siscowets were identified by their deep bodies, bent snouts, and high body fat content. The facial bones were removed, stripped of skin and muscle, and examined for morphological differences. The presence of the opercular notch corresponded with the deep body, bent snout, and high body fat content characteristic of siscowet lake trout. The opercular notch was not found in any hatchery-reared lake trout examined. The opercular notch was found in 93% of siscowets and 18% of leans from Lake Superior. While this difference is significant, the presence of the opercular notch in lake trout identified as leans suggests that leans and siscowets may be interbreeding in the wild. Lake trout with characteristics intermediate to the lean and siscowet type have been observed by commercial fishers and biologists. Siscowets more recently have been found in shallow water together with leans, especially during late summer and fall. There is no conclusive evidence, however, that interbreeding occurs. The reliability of the opercular notch as a discriminator for siscowet lake trout has been confirmed by independent observations of commercial catches and market samples. The opercle is readily observed through the skin on the heads of frozen or refrigerated lake trout. The skin of frozen lake trout tends to become transparent on the opercular flap. The opercular flap can be easily removed from fresh fish by cutting the opercle away from the head and soaking the skin off with warm, soapy water, or with vinegar. This easily observed opercle notch can provide commercial anglers, management biologists, and law enforcement officials with a reliable means of separating lean and siscowet lake trout in Lake Superior. Because a small proportion of lean lake trout have the opercular notch, it is advisable to use this character in combination with external morphological features such as body depth and snout shape when making field identifications. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diesel fuel properly dyed for tax exempt use, the fuel used by commercial vessel operators, continues to be in short supply across the country. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 directed that fuel exempt from the federal diesel fuel tax be dyed in order to distinguish it from fuel which is taxed. The requirement has led to shortfalls, which has forced some operators to buy taxable fuel, pay the tax up-front and then apply for a rebate. Numerous organizations are appealing to petroleum companies to increase the availability of dyed fuel. Similar shortages were found at several fuel distributors in Michigan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the Coast Guard looks for ways to dog down its expenses, one area under scrutiny is the loran C network it maintains. The Coast Guard is asking various user groups, including fishermen, how they'd be affected if loran C were to be phased out sooner than planned. Under the current Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP), the system is expected to continue in operation through 2015. The FRP, which is updated every two years, sets 1996 as the year a decision will be made regarding the future of the loran C system in the United States. At a radionavigation users conference held in 1993, the Coast Guard said: "If GPS can meet all civil radionavigation needs previously satisfied by loran C, then the FRP developed for 1994 may very well reflect a different decision point -- perhaps earlier than 1996." Capt. John Weseman, chief of the Coast Guard's radionavigation division, says: "We have to take a hard look at duplication of efforts since we have both GPS and loran C, but we're not necessarily going to turn off the system earlier." He adds that there are many considerations to assess before any decision can be made, including international implications and the integrity of GPS. Terminating the loran C network in the United States would save a relatively modest $20 million per year. The effects on marine users, in terms of both purchase costs of GPS units and potential navigational errors, would be far higher. Meetings held in three cities around the nation produced little response to the possibility of an early phaseout. Any comments you have should be directed to Heywood Shirer, Dept. of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration (DRT-20), 400 Seventh Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20590. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One school of thought in the treatment of seasickness is similar to the adage for common cold treatment: An untreated cold will last about seven days, and a treated cold will go away in about a week. Over time, most people adapt to the motion that is making them sick. Once the brain determines that the confused sensory signals are the "norm," it shuts down the nausea, cold sweats, drowsiness, and other symptoms. The more you move around, the sooner you become accustomed to the motion of the boat. Be sure you have a broad view of the horizon, and try to anticipate the vessel's motions. Lying down does not help you adapt, even though it may allow you to feel better temporarily. Don't do anything that requires a close visual focus. The wide variety of prescription and over-the-counter drugs available to combat motion sickness indicates that we don't have a good handle on controlling it. For the most part these drugs treat symptoms, not causes. On an extended voyage the drugs can help keep the symptoms under control while you are adapting to your new surroundings or "getting your sea legs." In the past few years the use of pressure point treatment for seasickness has become popular. This technique can be used after the onset of symptoms, which can be a real advantage over the preventive drugs. For full details on how to cope with seasickness request a copy of "Get a Grip on Ocean Motion" from you nearest District Extension Sea Grant Agent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American seafood consumption grew again in 1993, moving back to the 15-pound per capita level it achieved in 1990. That's still well below the 16.2 pounds recorded in 1987, but last year's report halts a decline that started in 1989 and apparently bottomed out in 1992 at 14.8 pounds. The 1993 increase was led by a significant jump in the consumption of fresh and frozen fish, rising to 10.2 pounds from a low of 9.6 pounds in 1990. Consumption of canned seafood declined from 4.6 to 4.5 pounds. Cured seafood consumption remained at one third of a pound. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The North Central Aquaculture Conference and the Annual Minnesota Aquaculture Conference will be combined next year. The conference is scheduled for February 17-18, 1995 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Radisson Hotel South. You can mark these dates on your calendar now and more details will be available in future issues of Commercial Fisheries Newsline. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Michigan, aquaculture is a relatively new industry. Although commercial trout farming began in the state over 60 years ago, both production and interest by new investors have grown rapidly in recent years. The industry today consists primarily of small farms, operated mainly on a part-time basis. In the past two decades, although the number of licensed aquaculture businesses has remained relatively constant, a number of individual businesses have come and gone. A 1991 survey of Michigan aquaculture producers conducted as part of this study showed that 30 percent of all businesses, and 62 percent of food-fish businesses, had started within the past five years. In 1992, total trout sales in Michigan (including 0.6 million pounds of food-size fish) were valued at $2.5 million. Since 1988, growth in sales has averaged 18 percent per year. Michigan ranks sixth in the nation in total trout sales. Although complete production figures on other species raised in Michigan are not available, industry representatives estimate the total value of 1992 production, including trout, at $4.5 million. Michigan, like other midwestern states, is a net importer of fishery products. Household and restaurant consumption is estimated at 144 million pounds annually. Total 1991 fish production in the state, commercial capture fisheries and aquaculture combined, was only 12 percent of this quantity. At an estimated average value of $2 per pound, Michigan's trade deficit in fish and seafood amounted to more than $250 million in 1991 alone. Though it is clear that, both nationally and in Michigan, aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry with significant potential, very limited data are available about the production and marketing of aquacultural products in this state. These data are needed to evaluate the future potential of the aquaculture industry in Michigan and to design policies to encourage and promote it. To address this need, a Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station project was initiated in 1990 to assess the economic feasibility of culturing fish species with commercial potential in Michigan. As a result two research reports were produced. Volume 1, "Production of Michigan Aquacultural Products," examines Michigan's aquacultural production, available resources, the state's regulatory environment, and the future potential of selected species and production systems. Volume 2, "Marketing Michigan Aquacultural Products," assesses and suggests ways to improve the marketing of aquacultural products in the state. Current marketing practices, Michigan's fish and seafood marketing system, and consumer attitudes and preferences toward fish and aquaculture products are examined. If you would like to receive copies of these research reports, please contact your nearest District Extension Sea Grant Agent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The traditional method of rearing trout in Ontario has been in ponds or concrete raceways that are located near a high quality water source. The availability of such water sources is becoming very limited and new technologies to grow trout are being initiated. One method that is very common on both the East and West coast is cage culture. This technique is relatively new to Ontario. Prior to 1988 there was only one operation located in Georgian Bay near Parry Sound. More recently four new cage operations have been initiated in the North Channel of Lake Huron near Manitoulin Island. In a cage culture facility the trout are raised in a net that is suspended from a floating dock system. The net has four sides and a full bottom and may hang 30 feet into the lake. The net is open at the top and is secured to a steel or wood docking system at least 3 feet above the water surface. The docking system usually consists of a main walkway with extensions running out at set distances. There are usually nets on both sides of the walkway with an average net being 50 feet square and 30 feet deep. The main advantage of cage culture is the ability to utilize large volumes of high quality water. Thus the Great Lakes are offering Canadians new opportunities in aquaculture. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In response to the zebra mussel crisis facing portions of the country, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have stated that only baitfish from waters certified clean of zebra mussels can be imported into their states. The decision was in response to the possibility that the zebra mussel larvae might be imported in the water with the live baitfish. Currently research is being conducted to identify federally approved compounds that can be used to treat the transport water to assure that no live zebra mussel veligers reach the destination site. This issue is one that needs to be watched carefully because of the interstate movement of live farm-raised fish. As the zebra mussel continues to spread and becomes more well-known, state natural resource agencies may consider stricter regulations on the interstate transport of live fish because of potential vector for zebra mussel. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A recent controversy developed concerning the regulations of liquid oxygen cylinders used for supplying oxygen to fish tanks during transportation. According to recent correspondence (4/4/94) from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration, cylinders of oxygen, refrigerated liquid (UN1073) are considered part of a "process system" when used to supply oxygen to tanks for the transportation of live fish. Therefore, when used in this manner, oxygen, refrigerated liquid (1073), is not subject to the requirements found in 49CFR, Parts 171-180. Parts 171-180 includes but is not limited to: general information, regulations and definitions, hazardous material table, shipping papers, emergency response information and training requirements, general requirements for shipments and packages, and carriage by public highway. This clarification does not exclude one from 49CFT Part 387, Financial Responsibility requirement as it pertains to transporting hazardous materials in interstate commerce. This exemption only applies when transporting oxygen, refrigerated liquid (UN1073) when used in the "process system" supplying oxygen to tanks when transporting live fish. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Biological Survey have made funds available to gain regulatory approvals or exemptions from FDA of eight drugs needed for public/private fish production. At least 35 of the 50 states have signed an agreement to provide $20,000 for each of five years to assist this effort. The federal government's commitment is about $1 million per year. Crop grouping research would also be funded that could reduce data requirements and costs needed to cover each aquatic species and each drug. The project will begin July 1, 1994 and end June 30, 1999. The nine compounds targeted for priority research for FDA approval are: benzalkonium chloride, benzocaine, chloramine-T, copper sulfate and related compounds, formalin (extensions), hydrogen peroxide, oxytetracycline (extensions), potassium permanganate, and sarafloxacin. Erythromycin is already covered by Bonneville Power Administration funding. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheap freshwater crayfish tail meat imported from China is now threatening the crayfish industry. The Chinese meat is reported to be selling to retailers at $3 a pound or lower. In the latest issue of its Crayfish News, the International Association of Astacology (IAA) notes that Chinese exports now exceed 200 tons. IAA member Shu Xinya reports that there are three factories and other smaller units where tail meat is produced. Crayfish are becoming more and more popular each year in local Chinese markets, but the government is not yet showing special interest in crayfish production. The Australian red claw crayfish has been introduced into eight provinces in China and has been well accepted by farmers. |