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Invasive Species
t3pt6k 
 		  Port: Grand Haven, MI   01/04/2005 03:16
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Posts: 2447
 

As we all have read it looks as if invasive species are adversly affecting the food web of the great lakes, in turn threating our fishing passion salmon and steelhead. We must unite as fishermen to watchdog and particpiate in developing solutions to remedy damage that is done or is ongoing.

I understand that some of these problems are overwhelming, but I know there is something we as concerned sportsman can do. I was on the Michigan Seagrant site and there is a treasure chest of information within this site, as well as potential access to federal moneys for project connected to the Great Lakes. There are a ton of educational opportunities, research information as well.

http://www.miseagrant.com

I'm pinning this thread, please add additional resources and post questions - solutions - and lets see if we can somehow help. This particular thread is not for discussing how bad this problem SUCKS cause it does - and I'll be the first one to join in on that. Let's try to keep this thread edcuational and inquisitive. If this seems dopey to you - keep in mind I am an internet hippy - it's sometimes the simple idea that is the key to change. groovy man!

Post edited by: tiara3600, at: 2005/01/04 03:18
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Re:Invasive Species
mrymar 
 		  Port: Algonac, MI   01/05/2005 15:00
Brown
Posts: 55
 

The problem is that the commercial freighter industry has a lobby and the sportfisherman do not.

http://www.educatedangler.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=2

The above article states that 3000 freights work the great lakes. How many oif these are ocean going vessles?

I think it would just be too bad if the 2005 St. Clair Raft-off blocked the shipping channel for a few hours. I mean a strong wind could blow that many boats anywheres.


http://www.aerialpics.com/J/rafting8-04.html

Post edited by: mrymar, at: 2005/01/05 15:39

Post edited by: tiara3600, at: 2005/01/06 10:22
Mike
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Re:Invasive Species
t3pt6k 
 		  Port: Grand Haven, MI   01/06/2005 10:25
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Posts: 2447
 

Mike - it sure seems pretty simple to offload ocean freighters and load on a lake freighters, or trucks, trains, etc... I like the flotilla blockade idea - that's a great picture.
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Re:Invasive Species
WingNut 
 		    01/06/2005 12:49
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Posts: 910
 

Your freighter lobby argument makes perfect sense Mike. Greed can be shown to be the root cause of any of the harm man does to his environment. We need to find some way to all come together with a lobby of our own. It's a logistical nightmare at best but we all need to unite. It seems like the vast majority are content to sit back and complain that nobody is doing anything about it. Of the remaining minority there are going to be disagreements as to what the proper way to proceed will be and who should take the reigns.

In the meantime maybe a campaign to alert the media of the problem and our feelings about it. We are not a united front but our money talks too. Namely the billions of dollars we spend in our piscatorial pursuits. When you start talking about lost revenue, people seem to take notice.

Maybe some rallys on the steps of the respective capitals will get some of the right people talking about incorporating ballast water laws that actually have some teeth.
Jim...I Fish Therefore I Am
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Re:Invasive Species
FLATRATE 
 		  Port: Manistee   01/06/2005 22:10
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Posts: 466
 

We actually have a ballast exchange law in effect , problem is the ships exchange ballast water just before entering the lakes and the sludge and critters are still living on the bottom of the tanks , they pump in fresh water and proceed into the lakes and then pump ballast out to load up , and out comes the fresh water and the sludge and critters from the bottom of the tank . We need to have a ballast water bill that makes them " treat" the ballast water to kill all organizims in the ballast tanks. It is possible to do but there is a lot of presure and lobbying against by the shipping industry. Besides the sea going ships are regulated by the U.N. I beleive and I'm not sure any laws we pass has any affect on them , could be wrong.
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Re:Invasive Species
WingNut 
 		    01/06/2005 23:20
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Posts: 910
 

I don't believe that the U.N. should have any say in such matters. We're still an independent nation, for now.
Jim...I Fish Therefore I Am
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