Shedd answers these questions with its brand-new Right Bite wallet card (PDF format) featuring, for the first time, Great Lakes fisheries. Yellow perch from Lake Erie and trap-net lake whitefish both made it onto our "Best Choices" list, so those perch-filled Friday-night fish fries have the green light from the Right Bite team.

The process of assessing the Great Lakes fisheries began in early 2006 through a collaboration with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch research team. Shedd and Monterey worked with a variety of stakeholders including local fishery experts to identify the largest commercial fisheries in the region. This working group provided a species list, which was given to a fisheries biologist from Northwestern University for further study. Monterey Bay provided scientific oversight for the project, ensuring the research and documentation met their stringent guidelines and included peer review. In addition to providing data for the first Great Lakes-specific Right Bite wallet card, this lofty project resulted in a detailed report (PDF format) on the status of the major commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Best Choices
˜Lake whitefish (trap net) — Despite declining populations of their preferred prey, lake whitefish populations remain large because of effective population management. In addition, the lake whitefish trap-net fishery is generally benign and poses no threat to the ecosystem.
 
˜Yellow perch (Lake Erie) — Eighty-five percent of the yellow perch in the U.S. market comes from Lake Erie. Despite a serious decline in the 1990s, populations have increased thanks to an effective management plan and the natural resilience to environmental change for which yellow perch are known.

Good Alternatives
˜Lake herring — Lake herring never fully recovered from a steep population decline in the mid-20th century due to habitat loss, overfishing and competition with non-native species such as rainbow smelt. Comprehensive management plans for lake herring stocks are growing as this species is recognized as a key player in the reestablishment of native predator-prey communities in the Great Lakes.

˜Lake trout (Lake Superior) — Lake Superior was the only one of the Great Lakes to avoid the major lake trout population crash in the mid-20th century because an invasive predator, the sea lamprey, was not successful in these waters. As a result, Lake Superior is currently the only lake to have a wild-caught lake trout commercial fishery. Although this population is currently stable, it will be important to minimize the threats of overfishing and habitat loss to ensure that healthy populations continue to thrive.

˜Lake whitefish (gillnet) — Despite declining populations of their preferred prey, lake whitefish populations remain large because of effective management. Concerns remain about accidental catch and high mortality in whitefish gillnets, making trap-caught whitefish a better choice.

˜Rainbow smelt — Rainbow smelt were introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1930s. Unfortunately, this non-native species has flourished — to the point of being considered invasive — and aggressivly competes with native species like lake herring for habitat and other resources. Removing invasive species, such as rainbow smelt, can be an effective management strategy for restoring native species. The smelt fishery helps to support native foraging fish by removing this invasive species.

˜Round whitefish — This fish is not a primary target for commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes so its availability depends on market demand. Round whitefish is caught primarily by tribe-licensed fisheries and currently no harvest limits are set for this fish. More information is needed about the population status to determine which management strategies will be most effective.
 
˜Walleye — Walleye is a naturally resilient species, which has helped it recover from past population declines. Populations underwent a major decline in the 1990s and are still recovering today. A better understanding of the specific needs for successful walleye populations is needed to create an effective management plan.

Avoid
˜Lake trout (Lake Michigan and Lake Huron) — Lake trout populations crashed in the mid-20th century due to habitat loss, overfishing and predation by the invasive sea lamprey, and they have not been able to recover on their own.The lake trout found in the lakes today are the result of an artificial fisheries management strategy known as “stocking.” Restoration of natural lake trout populations is an important goal for fisheries managers in the Great Lakes region.