Michigan launches genetic rescue plan for Great Lakes whitefish

Michigan officials and tribal scientists have launched a “genetic rescue” mission to prevent the near-collapse of Great Lakes whitefish populations. The initiative aims to collect spawning fish from Lake Michigan to breed them in captivity, preserving critical genetic stocks that are currently threatened by an invasive mussel population.

Zebra and quagga mussels from Europe have dominated the food web in most Great Lakes, stripping away the plankton necessary for whitefish hatchlings to survive. This ecological shift has caused commercial harvests to plummet from 6.9 million pounds in 2009 to less than 2 million pounds last year. In some areas of Lakes Michigan and Huron, almost no hatchlings have reached adulthood for two decades.

The project is supported by $350,000 from the Michigan state budget and approximately $900,000 from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. This fall, scientists will collect fish from Naubinway to Saugatuck to target the most endangered bloodlines, with the hope of establishing a larger recovery program once mussel control strategies are developed.