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April 20, 2016
Contact: Tom Goniea, 517-284-5830 or Elyse Walter, 517-284-5839
2015 state-licensed commercial fishing harvest steady, value down 7 percent as price of whitefish cools
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently released data from its 2015 state-licensed commercial fishing season. Combined, the state-licensed commercial fishery caught nearly 3,401,000 pounds of fish with an estimated wholesale dockside value of more than $5.4 million prior to processing, marketing and retail sales.
While the state’s total harvest in pounds was nearly identical to 2014, the fishery’s estimated gross dockside value was down nearly 7 percent. The decrease in the fishery’s value is almost exclusively attributed to a 12.5-percent decline in the wholesale price of lake whitefish.
“Lake whitefish is by far the most important commercial fish species in the Great Lakes in terms of both harvest and value, so annual statistics can move quite a bit based on it,” said Tom Goniea, DNR commercial fisheries biologist. “The price of whitefish had doubled from 2010 to 2014, so it’s not surprising that there was a slight reduction last year. Regardless, the price per pound still remained incredibly lucrative in 2015 from a historical perspective.”
Lake whitefish accounted for more than 66 percent of the state-licensed harvest by pounds and 88 percent of the gross value in 2015.
Participation in the fishery in 2015 remained constant from the previous year. Of the 50 state licenses issued, 32 were actively fished by 22 separate businesses. Twelve of these businesses fished in Lake Huron, five in Lake Michigan, three in Lake Superior and two in Lake Erie. Together, these businesses added an estimated $25 million to the state’s economy and approximately 300 fishing and fishing-related jobs.
A full breakdown of the harvest and dockside value of the 2015 state-licensed commercial fishery, including details for each individual lake, is available online. Visit michigan.gov/fishing and then click on “Managing Michigan’s Fisheries” and scroll down to the Commercial Fish Management & General Information section. This section also provides an in-depth description of Michigan’s commercial fishery, photos of the fishers in action, maps of the Great Lakes with recent commercial fishing activity, as well as links to recipes and locations where Michigan fish can be purchased.
/Note to editors: An accompanying photo is available below for download. Suggested caption follows.
Lake whitefish, like those pictured here, are a critical species within Michigan's commercial fishing industry./
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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