Fisheries managers in Wisconsin can now act more quickly when they detect a walleye population in trouble.
The Natural Resources Board approved alternate size and bag limits that can be put in place quickly to help rehabilitate a walleye population.
Kari Lee Zimmermann, Fisheries Regulation and Policy Specialist, described conditions that can trigger the rule.
“When there's less than 15 young of year walleye per mile of shoreline shocked in three of the previous five years, in water bodies where populations were sustained by natural reproduction, or there's a measured decline in adult density below two adults per acre,” said Zimmerman.
If conditions apply, the special rules can go into effect.
The previous process to change rules could take up to two years.
Mark Luehring of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission spoke to the board.
“Of course, when we see walleye populations declining, it's something that all of us want to fix, and we want to fix it as quickly as possible,” said Luehring. “And so this process enables everybody to do it together in partnership. Tribes can reduce harvests when we see these conditions, and now the state would have the ability to do that as well in a very quick process.”
Luehring said a faster response provides a better chance of being successful.
