Tuesday February 2, 2010, 1:38 pm
Pioneer Editorial: Protecting Red lakes into future
The state of Minnesota and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa on Thursday continued an important partnership in the preservation of Minnesota’s premier walleye fisheries. The two signed a new five-year agreement, which included the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, to jointly manage to maintain the health of the Upper and Lower Red Lakes fishery.
By: Bemidji Pioneer Editorial Board, Bemidji Pioneer

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Nextview all offers | sign up for email offers | add your businessThe state of Minnesota and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa on Thursday continued an important partnership in the preservation of Minnesota’s premier walleye fisheries. The two signed a new five-year agreement, which included the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, to jointly manage to maintain the health of the Upper and Lower Red Lakes fishery.

The fishery collapsed in the 1990s through overfishing, mostly by the band’s commercial fishing operation. The walleye has helped the Red Lake people sustain themselves for decades, and even aided domestic relief efforts during World War II.

Aided by technical experts, the politicians made the right decision in 1999 to impose a moratorium on walleye fishing in both Red Lakes until the stock could be built up, both naturally and with millions of fingerlings from Lake Vermilion. While admitting it might take10 years, the walleye fishery was reopened in 2006, only seven years due to a strong comeback.

“Our lake and the species within the lake are not only important to us as a resource for subsistence, it’s also a resource for us culturally,” said then-Tribal Chairman Bobby Whitefeather. “The lake is part of our culture, the inhabitants of the lake are part of our culture.”

The cross-jurisdictional partnership worked, and the walleye recovered. About 75 percent of the lakes are tribal waters, and 25 percent regulated by the state of Minnesota. Both the state and the Red Lake Nation have set quotas to properly manage the resource to prevent it from collapsing again.

The new memorandum of understanding closely parallels that initial 1999-2009 agreement, stating that each entity will support the Red Lake Fisheries Technical Committee, the joint panel of experts that recommends policies and practices to maintain the fishery.

For Minnesota’s part, it is estimated that 1.1 million pounds of walleye have been harvested since Upper Red Lake was opened to fishing in 2006.

“We are committed to ensuring that Red Lake walleye are managed sustainably in the future,” current Tribal Chairman Floyd “Buck” Jourdain Jr. said. “Renewing this agreement will enable the Fisheries Technical Committee to continue its work to help protect this valuable resource.”

The partnership is a model for resource recovery, involving a sovereign tribal nation, the United States and the state of Minnesota. And it has benefit the people of the Red Lake Reservation who now have restored a subsistence fishery, for creating economic development the Waskish area, and in protecting the future of the valuable walleye resource itself.

Such efforts need to be lauded, and encouraged in other areas of mutual concern such as law enforcement and social services.


Tags: opinion, editoiral, fishing

Tuesday February 2, 2010, 1:40 pm
of course you get the add with the story

Tuesday February 2, 2010, 4:41 pm
Thanks Terry

Tuesday February 2, 2010, 5:51 pm
Signed and shared! :)

Tuesday February 2, 2010, 7:07 pm
MENU IS FUNNY TO ADD, BUT THANK YOU TERRY.

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 4:43 am
I love reading GOOD news. TY Terry.

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 6:21 am

I hope this project will take over other territories and help build up the fisheries in other lakes and streams....

this is great news Terry.

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 9:23 am
Cool

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 9:48 am
hey this is great news for all of us the fish,red lake nation,and just plain people that love all creatures great and small..thanks lone wolf

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 10:47 am
should not be ignored

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 10:48 am
should not be ignored

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 11:05 am
Thank you Lone.

Wednesday February 3, 2010, 3:42 pm
Hmmm. sounds fishy to me, heh heh. There is one thing that could make things better for our depleted fish counts across the world. That is deploying this tactic everywhere, think 'sustainability'. Nice one Lone, interestings article from a fellow wolf, Howwwwwwlll!