An open letter to Michigan legislators:
I am writing to voice my opposition to bills HB 5801 and HB 5802.
The idea of opening the Great Lakes to trawler based commercial walleye fishing cannot be seriously considered. It will seriously deplete our population of walleye, not to mention the millions of bycatch fish that will be caught up in the nets of trawlers.
But more than just offering my opposition, I offer an alternative.
If the legislature is serious about opening walleye fishing to commercialization, I would suggest considering an approach similar to that implemented to protect the Atlantic bluefin tuna industry. Michigan law prohibits individuals from selling the fish they catch. Change it to allow charter passengers and captains to sell their catch to brokers to be located in Great Lakes ports. Establish science based, data driven quotas to govern the commercial industry. Catching walleye on fishing poles for distribution to stores is far more sustainable than trawler nets, and we already have a fleet of thousands of charter captains who would be thrilled with this opportunity to supplement their income. It would contribute to the profitability and sustainability of the Great Lakes charter industry, and could easily be broadened to include other fish species.
