Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lake Superior Quota topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts emergency Lake Superior quota rule and gear clarifications for cisco and lake trout
Summary
The board adopted emergency order FH‑16‑24E to set Lake Superior cisco and lake trout management rules for 2024–26, including an overall quota (34,500 lb), WI2 quota adjustments, trap‑net minimum size (4.25") and uniform net‑marking to aid enforcement; DNR said the emergency approach is to align quotas quickly with assessment data and to follow with permanent rulemaking.
The Natural Resources Board on Oct. 23 adopted emergency order FH‑16‑24E to set quotas and operational rules for Lake Superior commercial and sport fisheries through the emergency period and into 2025–26 rulemaking. Brad Ray, Lake Superior team supervisor, told the board the package updates how quotas are set and managed, explains harvest monitoring and closure triggers, and adds gear and marking requirements designed to reduce incidental catch of juvenile whitefish.
Ray described the technical basis for quotas: recent population modeling and monthly harvest tracking that triggers an early closure when 75% of a sport quota is taken. He told the board the 2024–26 state total quota for the emergency period is 34,500 pounds (about an 11% increase from the prior cycle), split between sport and commercial fisheries (approximately two‑thirds sport / one‑third commercial in certain areas), and with a recalibration of WI2 quotas to 22,500 pounds in that management unit. For trap nets, the rule establishes a 4.25‑inch minimum mesh allowance for trap net pots and clarifies marking requirements so all nets have identifying tags to assist law enforcement.
Board members asked whether the emergency rule implies an actual biological emergency. Ray and board members clarified that fisheries rule timing and data lags frequently motivate emergency orders so management can respond without the multiyear delay of permanent rules; Ray said the emergency package is intended to make quota‑setting more efficient and that permanent rulemaking will follow with hearings.
Chair Smith asked for a motion; members moved, seconded and approved the emergency order by voice vote, and Ray said staff will continue drafting the permanent rule for board review.
