Cisco Restoration in Lake Michigan: An Inter-Agency Evaluation of the Potential to Replace the Missing Pieces

Declines in the non-native planktivores Rainbow Smelt, Osmerus mordax, and Alewive, Alosa psuedoharengus, in the Great Lakes have generated international interest in re-establishing native planktivores such as Cisco, Coregonus artedi, and deepwater ciscoes, C. spp.  Because many remaining ciscoes are extirpated or at low numbers, restoration will likely require culturing large numbers of fish older than fry for stocking, and may involve brood stock development. Previous attempts to rehabilitate coregonines were unsuccessful due to the reliance on fry stocking on top of existing populations which made evaluation difficult.  Alternative restoration strategies, the judicious use of remnant stocks, and the transfer of modern large-scale culture practices for coregonines developed in Europe need to be considered. Interagency cooperation and the development of a shared mission for restoring the forage base is required.  To employ culture and stocking practices that would offer the best chance for success, a synthesis of current Finnish culture programs is underway as is  an analysis of past coregonine restoration projects that involve stocking in North America and Europe. The performances of new feeds, rearing practices and alternative systems will also be discussed. These reviews will inform managers on conditions and protocols best suited for re-establishing Great Lakes coregonines.