MICHIGAN DNR SALMON HARVEST - PLATT RIVER - MICHIGAN - 10-10-2008

JUST ABOUT MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT, THE WATER PUMPS WERE TURNED ON, CREATING A FALSE CURRENT THROUGHT THE HOLDING PEN AND THE GATE WAS OPENED. AT NIGHT, THE FISH CANNOT SEE AND JUST FOLLOW THE CURRENT INTO THE HOLDING PEN AFTER CLIMBING A COUPLE OF STEPS IN THE ENTRACE TO THE PEN. THEY CLOSED THE GATE IN THE MORNING AND THE HARVEST BEGAN. THE FISH ARE HAND SORTED. SOME ARE PASSED BACK INTO THE RIVER ABOVE THE WEIR AND ALLOWED TO CONTINUE UP STREAM. THE COLLECTED FISH ARE PROCESSED FOR THE EGGS AND SPERM AT ANOTHER LOCATION TO PRODUCE ONE OF THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF SALMON. NOTHING GOES TO WASTE. THE SALMON WOULD DIE SHORTLY AFTER SPAWNING ANYWAY SO THEY ARE ALSO PROCESSED FOR OTHER PRODUCTS INCLUDING PET FOOD. THIS ASLO HELPS THE RIVER STAY A LITTLE CLEANER.
SALMON ARE NOT NATURAL TO THE GREAT LAKES.
THEY WERE BROUGHT IN TO HELP CONTROL THE ALWIVE FISH POPULATION YEARS BACK. THE INVASION OF THE ZEBRA MUSSELS IS NOW CAUSING A REDUCTION IN THE ALWIVE POPULATION AS THEY COMPETE FOR THE SAME FOOD. WITH LESS AND SMALLER ALWIVE, THE SALMON ARE ALSO SMALLER AND THERE POPULATION IS ALSO DOWN. NOT MANY SALMON TAKEN WERE OVER 30 POUNDS AND IN THE PAST, 45 POUNDS AND OVER WAS NOT UNCOMMON. THIS MIGHT SPELL THE EVENTUAL END OF THE SALMON FISHING AS WE ONCE NEW IT.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• physical
• science
• SALMON
• SPAWNING
• DNR
• WEIR
• PLATT
• RIVER
• MICHIGAN
• HONOR