Nipigon Bay Walleye Historical Review
See below for a PDF copy of the Nipigon Bay Walleye Historical review which was put together in 1991 by the North Shore Remedial Action Plan Office.
Thunder Bay PAC Meeting – November 13

The Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Public Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet at 7 p.m. on November 13th in room 5035 of the ATAC building at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. Click here for the complete agenda and meeting information package.
The meeting will deal with:
- degradation of fish populations
- harbour aesthetics due to slicks, oil and scums
- update on course of action regarding North Harbour mercury contamination
The meeting is open to the public and free of charge. Evening parking at the university is free of charge.
Peninsula Harbour Committee Chair Honoured By Medical College

(Click the article above to view it in larger size.) The Chair of the Peninsula Harbour Commmunity Liaison Committee, Dr. Sarah Newberry, has been honoured by the College of Family Physicians of Canada as Ontario “Family Physician of the Year.” The award recongnizes her “outstanding patient care.” Dr. Newberry is also very active in her home community of Marathon, Ontario. The Chronicle-Journal article above notes her involvement in the Peninsula Harbour Community Liaison Committee (CLC), which she has chaired for several years. The CLC has acted as a two-way avenue of communication between the community and government agencies in efforts to address contaminated sediment in Peninsula Harbour. A “thin-layer” cap to address this issue was completed in 2012.
Click here for the agenda of the next meeting of the Peninsula Harbour CLC. The meeting will take place from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on November 19th at the Marathon Theater in the Marathon Recreation Centre. The main topic of discussion will be a review of work completed in 2012. The meeting will also feature the premiere screening of a video produced by Environment Canada about the thin layer cap.
George Creek Rehabilitation Project – Chronicle Journal Coverage
Lake Superior Fish Classic – Whitefish Dish Wins!
NEWS RELEASE
WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA SEA GRANT
Over 285 people enjoyed sampling Lake Superior whitefish and lake herring (cisco) during the recent Lake Superior Fish Classic – a chef cooking competition and public tasting event held in Duluth, Minn. The event, co-sponsored by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs, was designed to highlight Lake Superior’s sustainably managed fisheries. For the first time in three competitions, the same entrée won with both the professional judges and the public. Chef Seth VanderLaan and his team from the Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee won $1,500 for first place out of seven competing chefs, and the People’s Choice Award. The second place Superior Award of $750 went to Chef Scott Graden with The New Scenic Café, Duluth, Minn.
VanderLaan’s dish was seared whitefish with creamy grits, sweet corn chow chow and poached herring butter. Lead Judge, Don Miller, with the University of Notre Dame, said the dish won “because of the variety of cooking methods used. The flavors came together and were balanced. The seared whitefish was cooked perfectly. The herring was smoked lightly and counterbalanced the creaminess of the sauce. The grits were a nice touch and the chow chow on top added a contrast in flavor profiles.”
In his job as banquet chef for the casino, VanderLaan regularly oversees catering events for upwards of 2,500 guests. VanderLaan began working as a line cook when he was 16, and graduated from the Great Lakes Culinary Institute in Traverse City, Mich. He is certified by the American Culinary Federation and has worked as a sous chef in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and Detroit.
Graden’s dish was root vegetable hash with lake herring. He also participated in last year’s cookoff, earning both the Superior Award and People’s Choice awards. Miller said that Graden was “impeccable in the kitchen. By far, out of everybody, he did the best job of filleting and cleaning the fish. It’s also very hard to crisp the herring skin to give it a nice crunchiness. The crispiness balanced the soft texture of the lake herring. The dish was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The dish had a great Swedish breakfast theme and was executed beautifully.”
Graden’s culinary career began when he and his aunt bought The New Scenic Café in 1999. Since then, patrons and food critics have termed the café as a “destination restaurant.” Graden is constantly working with the idea that sustainable and local ingredients make the best food.
Miller said that the variety of cooking methods displayed was the clincher for the winning dish, but that “both were extremely good and would be stars on any menu.”
The Oct. 4 event was sponsored by Bodin Fisheries in Bayfield, Wis.; Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais, Minn.; the Duluth Seaway Port Authority; Lake Superior Magazine; and Minnesota Power. In 2011 and 2012, the competition and tasting event was held in Minneapolis.
Conceived in 1966, Sea Grant is a national network of 33 university-based programs of research, outreach, and education for enhancing the practical use and conservation of coastal, ocean and Great Lakes resources to create a sustainable economy and environment. The National Sea Grant Network is a partnership of participating coastal states, private industry, and the National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Contact: Marie Zhuikov, WI Sea Grant, (715) 392-3472, mzhuikov@aqua.wisc.edu<mailto:
Sharon Moen, MN Sea Grant, (218) 726-6195, smoen@umn.edu
Asian Carp found reproducing in Great Lakes Watershed
The presence of reproducing invasive asian carp within the Great Lakes watershed has been confirmed. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Bowling Green State University have found evidence of grass carp, which were captured last year in the Sandusky River located in Ohio, a tributary of Lake Erie, which have spent their entire lives in the river. This indicates that spawning of these species is occurring closer to the Great Lakes than previously confirmed.
Great Lakes Fishery Commission – Online Video Database
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission launched an online, open-access video database on its website. These videos are available to the public and includes a variety of topics with a large focus on various aspects of the sea lamprey control program.
Click here to be redirected to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s multimedia page.
Historic Wreck Located by Thunder Bay Divers
Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) Annual Report
Potential comeback of Lake Herring in the Great Lakes?

A recent article in the Gaylord Herald Times out of Michigan suggests that lake herring or “cisco” might be making a comeback. Recent research in Little Traverse Bay by the DNR and several local Indian bands have detected adult lake herring which were also ready to spawn. Further work is being conducted to determine the health and sustainability of the population. Read more of the article here.