Grand Haven Tribune is running an Associated Press article on a new survey that shows that invasive species (in this case zebra mussels and round gobies) are causing the food to disappear for popular recreational fish like salmon:
“The amount of prey fish that provide food for the larger sport fish that are native to Lake Michigan fell last year to a record-low level, while populations rose among invasive species such as zebra mussels and the goby, according to a government survey.
“The overall picture casts a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the lake’s sport fishery, said Jim Dexter, Lake Michigan basin coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.”
You can say that again.
And there’s more. The article reports:
“The $64,000 question is, will the forage community (prey fish) hold up and continue to provide reasonable fishing in Lake Michigan and allow us to meet our objectives for maintaining native fish species? There’s a lot of angst out there,” Dexter told The Muskegon Chronicle for a story published Sunday.”
Not good, not good at all. The Great Lakes fishery is worth 4.5 billion a year. Remember that it would only cost $55 million a year to use alternatives to ocean-vessels?
I know it’s busy on the Hill, but every day that Congress calls it a day without passing comprehensive invasive species legislation, a moratorium becomes more and more legit.
The message to Congress is clear: pass legislation.
Related posts:
- Invasive Species Wreaking Havoc on Lake Erie Fishery
- Threats – Aquatic Invasive Species
- Invasive Species
- From out West: Invasive Species Anywhere Are a Threat Everywhere
- EPA Administrator on Invasive Species, Great Lakes