OUTDOORS: Lake Ontario stakeholders meet with DEC

COMMENTARY

By Bill Hitls Jr.

Sportfishing stakeholders from around Lake Ontario met with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s fisheries leaders to receive updates and answers to questions on important issues pertaining to this important fishery.

While stakeholders went in with a wish list of what they would like to see, many of those points were non-factors when the meeting was complete. The hot topic was the issue of salmon egg take at the Salmon River Fish Hatchery. DEC laid out the framework of what happens during a normal year and what happened this year. It was clear that Mother Nature played a huge role in what ultimately happened, contributing not only low water levels but also elevated water temperatures.

During a normal fall, DEC hatchery personnel would start to take salmon eggs the day after Columbus Day (Oct. 9 this year). Water would be above base flow, at a temperature of less than 60 degrees. On average, they would strip 665 females, with an average of 3.4 million eggs taken. Of those eggs, 84 percent would eye-up. This means that the embryo is starting to develop in the egg.

This year, the first day they attempted to take eggs was Oct. 17, water level was below the base flow and water temperatures were in excess of 60 degrees. Only 224 females were stripped and 1.95 million eggs collected. Probably because of the excessive water temperatures, success rates for eggs making it to the eye-up stage were poor at best. For Chinook salmon, the rate was only 65 percent.

The bad news was that we might end up with only one million fish for stocking in 2008. However, several of the DEC people in attendance noted that this could also be good news. “We only stocked one million fish in 1995 and we had one of our best year classes ever,” said Dan Bishop, Region 7 fisheries manager.

There was little argument that survival rate is key. The problem that everyone foresaw was public perception. How do we pass this information along so that it doesn’t have a negative spin?

New York wasn’t the only state agency having a problem. Michigan was also experiencing a terrible eye-up percentage of their fish — just enough to make their quotas. The same reports were coming out of the Province of Ontario, where stakeholders had hoped to pull a few extra fish.

Stakeholders also hoped to take advantage of some additional coho salmon stockings due to the fact that DEC had collected some additional eggs. Again, probably due to the elevated water temperatures having an adverse affect on the eggs, eye-up rates were atrocious. Normally, the SRFH would see a 48 percent eye-up of green eggs. This year’s coho rate stood at 15 percent. They’ll probably end up with just enough for a normal stocking, 155,000 fall fingerlings and 109,000 yearlings for the lake.

DEC is still planning to accelerate the growth of as many fish as possible through some warmer water processes that they’ve implemented for the pen rearing projects the past year or two. This should help with fish survival rates. “We won’t worry about the 50 percent rule for the pens this year,” said Great Lakes Supervisor Bill Culligan. In the past, a pen project could not hold in excess of 50 percent of the fish meant for that particular port. Because of the success that some ports have had rearing salmon — such as Olcott and Oak Orchard — it was felt we should try to maximize the use of the pens as much as possible. Culligan also noted that they would do their best to accommodate the pen project waters that warm the quickest first. With the late start at collecting eggs, that could translate into a later transfer of fish in the spring from the SRFH and water temperatures could be a problem. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens there.

There was a pile of other information presented at the meeting and we’ll do our best to cover bits and pieces over the next month or two, information that will ultimately be presented again at the State of the Lake meeting. DEC vowed to come up with a date that can be promoted in advance in early January. The meeting will probably take place in March.

LOTSA to Host Fishing Expo

The Lake Ontario Trout & Salmon Association will be holding their first annual Lake Ontario/Niagara River Fishing Expo on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 24. The focus will be on the lower river and Lake Ontario as far as seminars and exhibits.

The group is hoping for 46 tables, offering equipment or services pertaining to the fishery. Half of the tables were already sold as of last week. Check out their website at www.lotsa.org or more details or if you’d like to get a table yourself to sell some gear. Cost for a table is $30. Admission to the event will be $5 and will be held at Niagara County Cooperative Extension in Lockport. Guest speakers include Capt. Vince Pierleoni, Capt. Ernie Lanteigne, Capt. Frank Campbell and Capt. Bob Stevens . The goal of the fishing club is to raise $4,000 for the pen rearing projects in Niagara and Orleans counties. Be sure to mark it on your calendar.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas during this special time of year!