Great Lakes Fisheries Ecosystems – Yearning for the Good Old Days within the Realities of Tomorrow

A once pristine and seemingly endless reservoir of natural resources, the Great Lakes ecosystem has experienced dramatic changes over the past century in its environment and fish community due to anthropogenically induced physical, chemical and biological perturbations. Faced with these changes, the value, governance and supply chain of these fisheries ecosystems have been in constant flux.  In the early to mid 1900’s, water pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species introduction and overfishing disturbed the structure and function of the ecological community, resulting in the collapse of key fisheries and decreased value of the Great Lakes.  Creation of the bi-national Great Lakes Fishery Commission followed during the 1950’s in an effort to restore productive and sustainable fisheries.  This key governance institution made advancements through facilitation of cooperative multijurisdictional fisheries efforts and understanding.  The road to restoration, however, has been long and arduous.  For instance, during the 1950’s, locations across the Great Lakes were overwhelmed by windrows of dead alewives in late Spring, high levels of coliform bacteria, blooms of blue-green algae and heavily polluted river and harbor systems.  By the late 1960’s Lake Erie was considered “dead” and a fire on the Cuyahoga River brought the ongoing ecological tragedy to the attention of the American and Canadian public.  Arrival at such a low-moment in Great Lakes history prompted enhancement of environmental policies and institutions and a stronger resolve by all parties towards restoration.  An environmental renaissance followed, producing a vibrant and highly valued multiple-use fishery and aquatic system.  This resurgence was, and is, partially based on introduced salmonids from the west coast, the rebuilding of native fish stocks, reductions in invasive species’ impacts and improving fish habitat conditions, both within the lake and its tributaries.  This success relied on enhanced scientific understanding of the ecological system’s dynamics in concert with improved interjurisdictional coordination of fisheries governance throughout the Great Lakes basin.  Maintaining and advancing progress in Great Lakes restoration is not without ongoing challenges.  Future issues facing the fish community include ineffective governance systems for dealing with threats from outside the basin, alteration of the food webs supporting current fish populations through invasive species introductions, climate change, water withdrawals and limited fiscal resources.  The time to act is now; we must take advantage of the opportunities and partnerships presented through existing and ongoing restoration efforts to enhance the management of these magnificent bodies of water and fisheries.