The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians announced today the results of their 2024 walleye and whitefish stocking efforts in northern Michigan.
Following a successful open house at its walleye hatchery in Dafter on June 12, where the public was invited to get an up-close look at its pond-rearing techniques, Sault Tribe staff transported and released an estimated 1,178,555 walleye fingerlings into the waters of the eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula.
The following week, the Tribe also released 45,421 whitefish fingerlings 24 miles upstream from the mouth of the Pine River.
“The Anishinaabe people have always been responsible stewards of our region’s land and waters, and our tribe’s walleye and whitefish stocking programs are a continuation of that same philosophy,” said Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes. “In addition to contributing to a healthy ecosystem, the more than 1 million walleye and more than 45,000 whitefish we released in June will help provide meals for Michigan families and recreation for anglers.”
The tribe’s walleye hatchery is a well-established program that has been in effect for nearly 30 years. This year’s release marked the 20 millionth walleye raised and stocked by Sault Tribe biologists.
Every year, Sault Tribe fisheries biologists collect, fertilize and incubate walleye eggs and then raise the walleye in ponds until they are large enough to be released.
In 2023, the Sault Tribe contributed to 33% of all walleye fingerlings released in the state of Michigan. These efforts generate an estimated $2.5 million economic impact for the commercial fishing industry and $2.14 million in sport fishing activity each year.
This year, the pond-raised walleye were transported and released in the following locations and estimated quantities:
- Lake George – 77,018
- Sault Area – 66,507
- Charlotte River – 89,730
- Raber Bay – 71,373
- Potagannissing River – 170,000
- Upper River – 102,899
- St. Martin’s – 312,525
- Cheboygan – 145,033
- Epoufette – 67,167
- Bay de Noc – 76,303
Of special note is the 170,000 walleye stocked in Potagannissing Bay, which came from a private pond on Drummond Island owned by the Fairchild family. These walleye were raised through a well-honed collaborative effort. with the family operating the hatchery, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources providing the fertilizer and the Sault Tribe providing the fry, and the technical support.
“We are proud to have some of the best biologists in the state who are passionate about ensuring we have a sustainable fishery that is not just here for this generation but for the next seven generations into the future,” said Chairman Lowes. “Thanks to their work, we were able to celebrate releasing our 20 millionth walleye this year, which is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to our long-term commitment to stewardship. Our hope is that we will be able to take this experience and continue to refine it for whitefish, which is another staple fish that has been harmed by invasive species.”
The whitefish stocking program is a relatively new endeavor focused on learning and research. The Sault Tribe is among the few organizations in North America that is experimenting with rearing techniques for whitefish.
Prior to the state’s logging and industrial eras, whitefish used to spawn in the state’s rivers and streams. The Sault Tribe Fisheries Program is working to determine whether the whitefish stocked in the Pine River will return several years later to spawn, which will help build resiliency in a species that has been harmed by invasive mussels spreading throughout the Great Lakes.
The Tribe is collaborating with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Nature Conservancy to continue the development of their work with whitefish stocking.
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