Archive

Federal Judge accepted the Consent Decree the way it was written.

A federal judge accepted a proposed consent decree controlling five sovereign Michigan Tribes, the federal government and the state, overruling evidence that expanded gillnetting would negatively impact the Great Lakes. In handing down his order, Judge Paul Maloney rejected the Coalition to Protect Michigan Resource’s claim that biological harm is likely to happen to the resource and there will not be proper measures in place to mitigate that harm. Gillnetting in Michigan was banned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources during the 1970s after research concluded gillnets are non-selective and have disastrous consequences for fishery populations. The Tribes asserted their treaty right to fish with gillnets, and after several court cases and injunctions, the first Great Lakes Consent Decree was adopted in 1985. Read more from MUCC and CPMR here

MCBA Annual Meeting

The MCBA Fall Conference will be held Saturday October 28, 2023, at the Haworth Hotel at Hope College in Holland Michigan (225 College Ave, Holland MI 49423). There will be a hospitality setting at the Haworth Hotel Friday October 27,2023. All MCBA Board Members and MCBA Members are invited. This begins at 5:00 pm with a cash bar provided for those to mix and mingle until dinner is served at 6:30 pm. If you plan to attend the mix and mingle. The Courtyard by Marriott Holland Downtown (121 E 8th Street, Holland MI 49423 / 616-582-8500) it is across the street from Haworth Hotel) has 20 rooms reserved at a discounted price of $199.00 for Friday evening. These must be reserved by September 27, 2023, to receive the discounted price. Click here for more details

Catch and Cook Claim Your Listing

The Michigan Catch and Cook website has been recently update. The new version allows participants to add a new listing, or modify a listing by clicking on the “Claim Listing” button. Approvals do take 24 hours, however MCBA thinks this will allow captains to keep information up to date. To Claim your listing, Click here

The Tribal Negotiation Romance

During the Tribal Decree negotiations, I have attended three court hearings in Kalamazoo Federal Court. Our Association is part of the Coalition to Protect Michigan Resources, a coalition of Michigan resource groups dedicated to protecting the state’s fishery.

The Coalition has a great team of people representing us in court, but we are not a full party to the court proceedings. We are supposed to be represented by and be supportive of the State of Michigan team. The State is usually represented by an appointee from the Attorney General’s office, Chief of the Fishery Division, and guided by the MDNR Director.

I have watched and appreciate the Tribal negotiating teams in one important way. They work hard to represent their people. They are very cordial to us, except for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribal team. The Sault Tribe are pushing for right to take up to 100% of the fishery. But they still represent their members well and their members are cordial to us in the Coalition.

Big Changes Coming

There are a couple of major changes coming to the MCBA.

The Association will be changing to an online newsletter, and a new format for the annual fall conference. These changes are being made by the board after carefully considering all the issues and options.

Our costs to create, print and mail the quarterly newsletter have increased exponentially in recent years, as well as has the cost of administering the drug program. These two major annual expenses have forced us to look at our options. Furthermore, we have had to expend large sums to support the coalition to protect our fishery. Taken together, the changes became necessary.
The quarterly newsletter will now be going online. Actually, the board believes in many ways this will be better. We will now be able to produce the newsletter in a more timely fashion including last minute items and issues. We will be able to include more color pictures, and the length of the newsletter will be more flexible.