DSC_0170 Arctic grayling first of year class arrive at Marquette State Fish Hatchery in Marquette County on Sept. 17, 2020, as work to restore this native fish species continues. Grayling arrive at the Marquette State Fish Hatchery, Sept. 2020

LANSING — With the state budget still in the discussion phase, each branch of state government has presented its version of a budget. The Michigan House’s version makes cuts in spending, and the chief of the DNR’s Fisheries Division, Randy Claramunt, has concerns as to how budget cuts could impact DNR fisheries. According to Claramunt, if enacted, the cuts could bring about a 50 percent reduction of fish stocking.

“It’s a reduction in our already limited survey capacity, both in Great Lakes and inland fishery surveys,” he said. “It’s a reduction of our aquatic habitat grants, and basically all aquatic habitat work would come to a screeching halt. So the impacts are huge. This is in part because we’re already limited in our capacity and so this cut would reduce our operating costs that would have detrimental impacts on our programs.”

Claramunt explained that five million dollars was cut in the House budget proposal, of which more than four million were restricted funds or basically money obtained from fishing licenses. He further explained the lack of increase in fishing licenses for the past several years has left fisheries with a flat revenue amid costs rising exponentially. Fisheries consists of about five percent of the DNR’s budget and one of the smallest in the country despite managing the most fresh water.

“So fisheries, as a division managing more fresh water than any state in the US, we have been very limited and have seen programmatic reductions over time. We’re kind of at a breaking point, and we’re not able to maintain our services,” Claramunt said.

Claramunt believes the cuts were an oversight with an applied formula and believes the intent was not meant to potentially cause negative impacts. He said it is important to recognize the proposal is from one chamber of the legislature and this is a step in the process of governance.

In terms of how the U.P. could be directly impacted by the potential budget cuts, stocking programs for popular fish such as walleye would pretty much be eliminated according to Claramunt. He shared many anglers wanted to see the stocking of walleye expanded and he agrees with the sentiment.

Musky stockings would also be put on pause and cormorant population control would also be threatened. Cormorants have a high predation rate on fish and their numbers need to be managed to keep a healthy fish population. The Marquette Hatchery and the research vessel for Lake Superior would also have its services limited by the cuts. Research conducted on the vessel includes surveying Lake Superior and addressing invasive species population trends and stocking opportunities.

“We’ve seen all six state fish hatcheries built decades ago deferred maintenance issues, and Marquette is no exception. We’re trying to reinvest into our facilities, address major maintenance issues and those kind of projects would really come to a halt, and we would not be able to do that which jeopardizes the fish production,” Claramunt said.