After consulting with a Blue Ribbon Panel over the last week I believe we may have treated the DNR policy makers a bit disrespectful! We considered many of their policy statements over the last few years and now put them to the public for input. 1) Mille Lacs, "we have seen no study that gillnets during the spawn effect the walleye population on Mille Lacs", however all other seasons statewide will be set to allow that species to spawn first. 2) "Mountain Lions do not exist in MN", ops the cameras must lie, altered photos? 3) "Moose and Deer populations are not declining because of the wolf population increase", it takes a lot of red meat to support a pack or two of wolves, ask the locals, get out of St Paul and into the woods and small MN towns. 4) "Coyotes are not a problem, there are no documented cases of attacks on humans in MN", lets see documented footage of coyotes working over a deer in Roseville during daylight hours, a hungry predator will take advantage of what's available, ask San Diego how many human attacks occur there. 5)"Red Lake, we know there is a US Supreme Court Ruling saying all of upper and lower Red Lake belongs to everyone, but we prefer not to abide by that one" we follow the laws we want to. 6)"Our hands are tied when it comes to Mille Lacs", who ties them other than Mark Dayton, the US Supreme Court left them a way out, how about representing the majority of Minnesotans once. 7)"Global Warming", only Mille Lacs not the other 9,999 lakes. Remember Folks "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself" Get involved!!
I had to walk out in disgust at the yearly Mille Lacs Lake Input Group meeting last night. Bobber posted this on Facebook: The numbers that were presented were alarming to say the least. A shared 40,000 lbs with the bands? We will not know the anglers allowance until the bands decide on their take. One fish limit, a new slot size, different night ban schedules were all discussed. Now they are looking to change the northern regulations with different slot sizes protecting the big one once again? guess what the spearing did this winter? The smallmouth will stay pretty much the same, maybe the season start and ending dates will change. One thing that was very clear, and that is people are at their wits ends! No longer is this meeting much of an in-put format. But sit and listen to the "doom an gloom"
I'd like to hear how many members here agree with the DNR's upcoming regulations for 2015-16.
• Mille Lacs fish allocations. Think 5,000,000 Minnesotans vs 50,000 Chippewa enrollees (8 bands). The 2015 tribal allocations: 50% of Mille Lacs pike and perch; almost 30 percent of Mille Lacs walleyes. DO YOU AGREE THESE ALLOCATIONS ARE UNFAIR AND MUST CHANGE?
YES NO • Gillnetting spawning walleyes. DNR warns against “further depleting” walleye spawning stock; and cites low survival of young walleyes and a too-few-males gender imbalance. DO YOU AGREE WITH LAKE-WATCHERS WHO WANT GILLNETTING ACTIVITY AND MOTORING OVER MILLE LACS SPAWNERS STOPPED?
YES NO • Major conservation issue. DNR can legally challenge tribal harvests for conservation reasons. Note DNR’s emphasis on problems, challenges, uncertainties; and the 2015 super-low 40,000-lb. combined state-tribal quota, a dramatic 95% drop from Mille Lacs normals. Huge conservation issues, eh? SHOULD DNR LEADERS USE THE CONSERVATION ARGUMENT AND PUSH FOR CHANGE?
YES NO • Health and human safety. DNR could use health and human safety concerns to challenge tribal harvests and “treaty management” which make Mille Lacs Minnesota fishing’s biggest never-ending issue. Bad results: damaged image, constant controversy, false impressions (like “no fish”), angry people, Mille Lacs avoidance, severe economic impacts, uncertain futures, diminished optimism, unhealthy stress levels. SHOULD THE STATE ACT TO SAVE THE MILLE LACS FISHING COMMUNITY—PEOPLE NEAR AND FAR—FROM THE NEVER-ENDING INTOLERABLE HARM? YES NO
This was voted on by the Mille Lacs In-put group last evening.
Care to guess the results?? ALL YES
-- Edited by Bobber on Friday 27th of February 2015 12:37:49 PM
At their meeting with DNR Fisheries personnel on Thursday evening, Feb. 27, Mille Lacs Input Group members and those in the audience heard Minnesota DNR Fisheries chief Don Pereira, in a moment of surprising candor, say he'd likely lose his job if he backed the Input Group's calls for changing Mille Lacs state-tribal fish allocations and related treaty management.
For years we've heard the familiar line: "Yeah, well, if those Fisheries guys challenge the system, and stand up for us, they'll get FIRED! Now, in a public forum, we heard the Fisheries chief himself say he'd get fired if he challenged the gillnetting and the treaty management system (and, what he called, its constraints).
He was responding to Input member calls for state government action to change a bad system that's got Mille Lacs anglers, businesses and people (and even DNR Fisheries guys) trapped in never-ending hassle and bad stuff.
-- Edited by Bobber on Friday 27th of February 2015 01:39:12 PM
Thanks Bobber for your tremendous reporting on the Mille Lacs In-Put groups voting and clear message!
Sadly it appears the mismanagement of our critical Mille Lacs lake resource will continue under this badly designed and broken system including even DNR staff who cannot discount these facts ~~ but who are trapped themselves by such poor legal rulings and political skullduggery that came before!
As a lake shore owner and a life-long Mille Lacs Lake fisherman, this is a shocking and tragic case of the abuse of our beautiful lake resource ~~ and it is unsurpassed in my lifetime. I am personally very disappointed that the Governor's office ignores this case as well.
I wish so much that the fishermen and fellow lake-shore owners had the power to change this terrible policy.
"Mille Lacs being managed for job security, not for fishing heritage". PERM for years, and more recently Save Mille Lacs Sportfishing have hollered this, and the top fisheries official now validates this. Harvesting during the spawn is against the laws of nature. Ma Nature has been trying to tell the fisheries folks this by having a late ice out for the last 2 years. Can you imagine all the money stuck into the dog and pony shows, blue ribbon panel, etc........ all in the name of keeping the Gov happy. It is time to contact your representation in St Paul and force them to bring this to a head. The US Supreme court said if conservation was affected, "our door is open". Sure it will cost a few bucks but what has it cost those making a living on and around Mille Lacs.
