Petition to stop all gill netting by the MN DNR

[AlanS]

Hey all,

 

I am new here obviously, but I recently learned how many fish the DNR kill off every year with those surveys. I've never started a petition for anything before, but here's my attempt to get that to stop. https://www.change.org/KillingFishMN

 

This is not about the big lakes. To me it is the same as trying to manage deer by digging a pit in the woods to see what falls in and dies- Wisconsin pretty much gave it up and we should as well.

 

I know some DNR guy is going to get on here and say it is for consistent data, and that it only happens every few years on the smaller lakes. It should not happen at all. Every 10 years and the best fish in the lake might still be dead in that net, just to have a fancy survey. Heres what a survey should look like. https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=967200

 

If there are already petitions and groups out there trying to change this I would like to get involved,

 

A

[Hookmaster]

Wow. I won't be signing.

 

“There is a large amount of evidence that these killings adversely affect a lakes fish population for years, sometimes decades.”

 

Alan, post links to the “large amount of evidence”.

 

“Even if it did not there are modern methods that do not require this wasteful brutality.”

 

Alan, post links or describe the “modern methods”.

 

Not much info in your example of a what a "survey should look like".

[leech~~]

It is sad to see them wash up on shore afterwards though. I called the Brainerd Fishery Sup, after these two washed up it our campground on Edward lake.  They had been test gill netting all over the lake and I actually watched and talked to the crews for about 1/2hr pull in some nets.  I thought they brought all the netted fish back to their station for testing? I told the Supervisor it was hard for a 100 people at the campground who are having a hard time even catching Walleye to see this on the swimming beach the next morning! 

The Fishery Supervisor told me sorry about that. The crews try and hit the air bags when they slit the stomach to check the contents, before they sink them to the bottom. 

After all these years I never knew that they slit and sink 100's of fish they net in each lake during their testing to the bottom?  Bring them to a food shelter? 

 

Edited June 30, 2021 by leech~~

[ozzie]

what a shame!  I had no clue the DNR kills fish they net as I assumed they would attempt to safely release them, but after thinking about that longer I guess most fish don't survive nets!

[Mike89]

didn't know that either, what shame...

[JBMasterAngler]

I talked to a survey crew once. They had a boat full of fish. They told me they donate most of the fish to food shelves. But also do studies on some, testing for mercury, etc. The rest is composted. 
 

I will not sign this petition!

[leech~~]

6 hours ago, JBMasterAngler said:

I talked to a survey crew once. They had a boat full of fish. They told me they donate most of the fish to food shelves. But also do studies on some, testing for mercury, etc. The rest is composted. 
 

I will not sign this petition!

Then we got some conflicting Info. Did you ask what MN DNR fisheries office they were out of?  The Brainerd fisheries supervisor said that they are not setup with coolers nor have room in the boats to collect and keep fish at a safe temp to donate. Sounds like some crew is not following the department procedures.

 

I didn't say I would sign a petition, but I sure am open to some kind of use of this resource then just dumping it to the bottom.

[Kettle]

I know some have been donated to raptor centers for food.

Kettle 

[gim]

They don't use nets for sampling every species of fish.  They use electrofishing for some, which only stuns the fish temporarily.  After the shock wave is turned off, the fish swim away like nothing happened.  We did this in college on the river a couple times and not a single fish died.  Fascinating to see the variety of fish swimming in the area we electrofished.  We also used a back pack electrofishing device in a trout stream in April.  Electrofishing is only effective in shallower water areas though, as the shockwave has limitations.

 

Mortality amongst almost all species of fish is much higher in the warmer summer months whether you are using a net or fishing for them using rod n reel, especially if you are using live bait.  So the solution here is to sample in the spring or fall when the water is cooler and avoid using live bait in the heat of summer.

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

They don't use nets for sampling every species of fish.  They use electrofishing for some, which only stuns the fish temporarily.  After the shock wave is turned off, the fish swim away like nothing happened.  We did this in college on the river a couple times and not a single fish died.  Fascinating to see the variety of fish swimming in the area we electrofished.  We also used a back pack electrofishing device in a trout stream in April.  Electrofishing is only effective in shallower water areas though, as the shockwave has limitations.

 

Mortality amongst almost all species of fish is much higher in the warmer summer months whether you are using a net or fishing for them using rod n reel, especially if you are using live bait.  So the solution here is to sample in the spring or fall when the water is cooler and avoid using live bait in the heat of summer.

Yep they use shock capture in shallow waters like rivers but not in deep lakes. Any fish that is checked for stomach contents, is going straight to the bottom.

[Wanderer]

If the DNR could only afford Livescope… 

[leech~~]

21 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

If the DNR could only afford Livescope… 

My first thought when I found out they dump them to the bottom. My fish cam, big treble hook and follow the DNR test crew around until I got my limit!

[whateverisbiting]

On 7/6/2021 at 7:52 AM, gimruis said:

and avoid using live bait in the heat of summer.

How does this reduce mortality?  Just catch less?

[gim]

2 hours ago, whateverisbiting said:

How does this reduce mortality?  Just catch less?

 

Countless studies have proven that the use of live bait when the water is warm results in very high mortality.  That's part of the reason Mille Lacs is currently closed to walleye fishing and the use of live bait is prohibited right now.

 

Fish often swallow live bait so they are hooked deeper.  As opposed to artificial lures which are more likely to get hooked in the mouth rather than the throat or gills.  You can still kill a fish using artificial lures after you release it, its just far less likely when compared to using live bait.

Edited July 7, 2021 by gimruis

[JBMasterAngler]

On 7/5/2021 at 5:02 PM, leech~~ said:

Then we got some conflicting Info. Did you ask what MN DNR fisheries office they were out of?  The Brainerd fisheries supervisor said that they are not setup with coolers nor have room in the boats to collect and keep fish at a safe temp to donate. Sounds like some crew is not following the department procedures.

 

I didn't say I would sign a petition, but I sure am open to some kind of use of this resource then just dumping it to the bottom.

Lake vermilion.