The statement of scope for this rule, SS 124-20 was approved by the Governor on August 21, 2020, published in Register No. 776B on August 31, 2020, and approved by the Natural Resources Board on October 28, 2020. This rule was approved by the Governor on July 16, 2021. ORDER OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD
REPEALING, AMENDING, AND CREATING RULES
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board proposes an order to repeal NR 25.06 (1) (c) (note) and 25.07 (1) (b) (note), to amend NR 20.20 (73) (n) 5., 25.06 (1) (a), 25.06 (1) (c) (intro.), 1., 2., and 3., and 25.07 (1) (b) (title), and to create NR 25.06 (1) (c) 4. relating to fish harvest in Lake Superior and affecting small business. |
FH-07-21 (E)
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Natural Resources
1. Statutes Interpreted: Sections 29.014 (1), 29.041, and 29.053 (2), Stats., have been interpreted as authorizing the department to conserve the fish supply on waters of the state while continuing to provide good opportunities for fishing. Section 29.519 (1m) (b), Stats., is interpreted as allowing the department to regulate commercial fish harvest. 2. Statutory Authority: Sections 29.014 (1), 29.041, 29.053 (2), and 29.519 (1m) (b), Stats., authorize the promulgation of this rule. All rules promulgated under this authority are subject to review under ch. 227, Stats. 3. Explanation of Agency Authority: Section 29.014(1), Stats., directs the department to establish and maintain any bag limits and conditions governing the taking of fish that will conserve the fish supply and ensure the citizens of this state continued opportunities for good fishing. Section 29.041, Stats., provides that the department may regulate fishing on and in all interstate boundary waters and outlying waters. Provisions of s. 29.053 (2), Stats., “Specific open and closed seasons,” provide that the department may establish conditions governing the taking of fish for the state as a whole, for counties or parts of counties, or for waterbodies or parts of waterbodies. Section 29.519 (1m) (b), Stats., grants discretion to the department to establish commercial fish species harvest limits after giving due consideration to the recommendations made by the commercial fishing boards. It also specifies that the limitations on harvests must be based on the available harvestable population of fish and in the wise use and conservation of the fish, so as to prevent overexploitation. In addition, the 1972 Gurnoe Decision (State v. Gurnoe, 53 Wis. 2d 390 (1972)) established that the Lake Superior Chippewa tribes reserved the right to fish in Lake Superior as part of their treaties with the United States government. Thus, the state of Wisconsin works in coordination with these tribes to manage the Lake Superior fishery for sustainable harvest. 4. Related Statutes or Rules: The department also promulgated a companion emergency rule, FH-12-20 (E) / EmR2048, and a permanent rule, FH-10-20 / CR 21-024. 5. Plain Language Analysis: This rule addresses cisco and lake trout quotas and harvest limits for Lake Superior sport and commercial fisheries. These changes were first implemented in the companion emergency rule, EmR2048, and are the subject of permanent rule FH-10-20 / CR 21-024. Adjustments to these quotas and limits are necessary to maintain sustainable harvest levels for a healthy Lake Superior ecosystem and the diverse fisheries and stakeholders it supports. SECTION 1 revises the harvest trigger for lake trout taken by recreational anglers in waters of Lake Superior east of Bark Point (WI-2). If lake trout harvest meets this threshold, the fishing season will close to prevent overharvest of lake trout.
SECTION 2 updates the lake trout quota in WI-2, as well as the accompanying harvest allocations, for state and tribal commercial fishers and tribal home use fishers. There is no change to the quota in WI-1.
SECTION 3 updates the combined state and tribal cisco quota as well as the total allowable harvest for state fishers, total allowable harvest for state commercial fishers fishing between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 using gill nets between 2 3/8 and 3-inch stretch measure, and total allowable harvest for department assessment purposes, angling, and incidental harvest.
SECTION 4 establishes the total allowable cisco harvest for tribal commercial and home use fishers.
SECTIONS 5 to 7 remove the January 1, 2021 sunset for the cisco quota.
6. Summary of, and Comparison with, Existing or Proposed Federal Statutes and Regulations:
No federal statutes or regulations apply. States possess inherent authority to manage the fishery and wildlife resources located within their boundaries, except insofar as preempted by federal treaties and laws, including regulations established in the Federal Register.
7. If Held, Summary of Comments Received During Preliminary Comment Period
and at Public Hearing on the Statement of Scope:
The department received no comments at the preliminary public hearing, nor during the comment period for the statement of scope.
8. Comparison with Similar Rules in Adjacent States: Along with Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota are the only adjacent states with a Lake Superior commercial fishery. In Michigan, whitefish is the focus of the commercial fishery. Minnesota regulates several commercial fisheries on Lake Superior. Both Minnesota and Michigan have established quotas, gear requirements and other restrictions for commercial fishing in Lake Superior, working in cooperation with the Chippewa tribes in those states.
9. Summary of Factual Data and Analytical Methodologies Used and How Any Related Findings Support the Regulatory Approach Chosen:
Lake Superior offers a diverse fishery in which lake trout, cisco, and lake whitefish are the three main commercial fish species. Recreational fishers and local charter and guide businesses also value these species as game fish, and frequently target lake trout and whitefish. Because commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishers all depend on a sustainable Lake Superior fishery, harvest regulations must be
analyzed and balanced using updated biological data and public input from the different stakeholder groups.
Quotas and associated regulations for lake trout and cisco are updated every three years based on the most current biological data. Population monitoring is a key component of managing Lake Superior fisheries. A statistical catch-at-age-model has been developed to sustainably manage lake trout harvest in waters of WI-2 Lake Superior, while a static quota is used in WI-1. The lake trout statistical catch-at-age model incorporates data from independent fishery assessments, the sport fishery, the commercial fishery, and tribal fisheries to project population trends and predict the maximum sustainable harvest of lake trout. The model incorporates length, age, and mortality data to maintain a 42 percent mortality rate on lake trout. The allowable harvest of lake trout is used to restrict footage available for gill net effort, which also regulates whitefish harvest. The footage is based on monitored catch-per-unit-effort of lake trout in three time periods. A rolling 3-year average is used for each period to determine the amount of footage that can be sustainably used while staying within the lake trout quota. The effort restriction also encourages the avoidance of lake trout, which are more vulnerable than whitefish, and rewards minimizing lake trout bycatch. Department and tribal biologists are currently developing a whitefish model as well to better assess and predict the impacts of harvest on the whitefish population.
The department and tribes utilize hydroacoustics surveys to determine the density of cisco in the water column, and then extrapolate to the total biomass of cisco in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior. The hydroacoustics data are validated with department and tribal agency netting surveys to verify that the numbers and species caught correlate with the results from the hydroacoustics surveys. While the cisco quota is reviewed on a three-year schedule, the department and tribes collect and review data continually, so changes based on the most current data can be considered if the sustainability of the cisco fishery is in question. Cisco are a key species in the Lake Superior ecosystem, and are harvested in Wisconsin waters for commercial, recreational, and subsistence purposes by state licensees and members of the Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Cisco are also an important food chain link, connecting the lower trophic level of zooplankton with the higher trophic level occupied by predatory fish such as lake trout, and are an important component of the prey base for lake trout. Whitefish and other fish also consume cisco eggs as part of their regular diet.
