SHEBOYGAN, Wis — Business owners along Lake Michigan's shoreline are voicing their concerns today to the DNR. Some of those business owners manage bait and tackle shops and they are claiming that the state isn't stocking enough prized fish into Lake Michigan.
Fishing in Wisconsin is a powerhouse of an industry bringing about $2.3 billion into the state each year. But some say the fishing on Lake Michigan in recent years just isn't as good as in years past, and it's keeping people off the lake and out of their businesses.
"A lot of it has to do with the cutting of the stocking of fish that has been done in the past ten years or so by the DNR," says Russell Gahagan the owner of Anglers Avenue Pro Shop in Sheboygan.
Gahagan says that with less fisherman being successful on the lake it's cutting into his bottom line.
"We've seen a steady decrease in business in the past five years. I think almost all lake shore businesses have," adds Gahagan.
The DNR has cut back on the stocking of Lake Michigan Trout and Salmon populations by over 40 percent in the last 10 years. On Wednesday businesses most impacted by that decision spoke out to the DNR.
"We need them to be proactive and get ahead of this. Get enough fish in the system for people to catch and enjoy," says Gahagan.
The request made by the stakeholders on Wednesday was for the DNR to increase their current stocking efforts by over 40 percent the next three years. A move that some in support of the effort say would be an addition of nearly 800,000 fish that would be plugged into Lake Michigan.
"I can tell the DNR is absolutely going to look at that option," says Todd Kalish the Deputy Bureau Director for DNR Fisheries.
The DNR says the proposal is a serious consideration at this point and something that they will be discussing extensively over the next month or so.
"We want to stock the appropriate number of fish into Lake Michigan to help sustain that fishery and were actually looking into increases," adds Kalish.
