07-06-2010, 04:25 AM
Mussels are a negative, there is no getting around that. Here's some pretty good articles explaining some complex issues regarding mussels in the Great Lakes. The first deals with Lake Huron. It's fisheries have changed almost overnight and what used to be a highly sought salmon fishery has now collapsed. With that loss, charter businesses went under or relocated having a huge impact on local and state economies. There is three parts to the article and you'll see the other two links at the bottom of the first.
[url "http://www.greatnorthernoutdoors.net/s-lakehuron1.htm"]http://www.greatnorthernoutdoors.net/s-lakehuron1.htm[/url]
Here's a more recent article which also discusses Lake Huron's salmon fishery collapse but with concerns about where Lake Michigan is going in the future. It's important to remember water clarity is a good indicator of primary productivity (phytoplankton or algae), step one of a fishery food web. Yes, Lake Michigan has cleared up drammatically, but it's because there has been a shift in the food web.
[url "http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/29571999.html"]http://www.jsonline.com/...consin/29571999.html[/url]
Of course there is always going to be something in the system that will benefit from these impacts, maybe it's walleye in Lake Michigan too. Unfortunately, anglers and fishery managers alike, will now just have to play the hand they were dealt.
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[url "http://www.greatnorthernoutdoors.net/s-lakehuron1.htm"]http://www.greatnorthernoutdoors.net/s-lakehuron1.htm[/url]
Here's a more recent article which also discusses Lake Huron's salmon fishery collapse but with concerns about where Lake Michigan is going in the future. It's important to remember water clarity is a good indicator of primary productivity (phytoplankton or algae), step one of a fishery food web. Yes, Lake Michigan has cleared up drammatically, but it's because there has been a shift in the food web.
[url "http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/29571999.html"]http://www.jsonline.com/...consin/29571999.html[/url]
Of course there is always going to be something in the system that will benefit from these impacts, maybe it's walleye in Lake Michigan too. Unfortunately, anglers and fishery managers alike, will now just have to play the hand they were dealt.
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