5 commercial fishing boats to dock in Manistee

TJ SPRINGSDORF wrote:

THE GILL NET SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE GREAT LAKES THE FISH THEY ARE NETTING ARE FOR THE MOST PARTS ARE PLANTED. ARE NOT CULTURALLY INHERENT TO THE TRIBAL INDIANS.THE DNR WITH TAX AND FISHING FEES ARE RESTOCKING THE LAKES. YOU SAID A 100 JOBS, BUT WHAT IF THE LOSE CHARTER FISHING. HOW MANY JOBS ARE WE GAINING.IF THEY ARE TO COMMERCIAL FISH THE INDIAN SHOULD BUILD FISH HATCHARY'S TO HELP WITH THE RESTOCKING OF THE GREAT LAKES.

Response: The Tribal fishermen are not using large mesh gill nets and are not catching fish that are stocked. They are fishing for whitefish ONLY using trap nets and chubs using small mesh gill net that is fished at depths that does not catch sport fish. In 2000, the Little River Band of Ottawa agreed to:(1) not target any fish that is caught by sport fishers (i.e. trout; salmon); and (2) not to authorize the use of large mesh gill nets in Lake MI from the Manistee/Benzie County line south to Grand Haven. They made this agreement specifically to accommodate the sport fishery. Sport fishers should be doing all they can to make the current arrangement work - the Little River Band made a tremendous concession to co-exist with the sport fishing community and sport fishing community. The Tribes collectively are also putting a lot of resources - money and biologists - into monitoring the health of the Great Lakes - not just the tribal fishery but the fishery the sport/charter fishing community depends on.

Your facts are wrong Mr. Springsdorf - the Little River fishers are not fishing with large mesh gill nets (which were used by Indians for hundreds of years); they are not fishing for "planted" fish. The Little River fishers are using trap nets (which don't kill the fish) for whitefish and small mesh gill nets to target chubs. Little River agreed to:(1) not fish for sport fish (i.e. trout; salmon); and (2) not authorize the use of large mesh gill nets - specifically as an accommodation to the sport/charter fishing community.

Irregardless of anything else, these nets create a great danger to boaters. They claim that they are marked but that is bull. I have talked to many fisherman who have gotten snagged in unmarked nets, and many that I have seen have been only marked with one small bouy. How long until someone gets killed from their boat sinking after getting snagged on one of these! Its going to happen. They have no right to net fish like this using modern technology. They are just taking advantage of our bleeding heart politically correct government to viciously rape the great lakes.

I wonder why all comercial fishing is done
by indians?
in the UP Most all is indian owned or some part.
have we gotten to the point the white man is at a diss advanage..
cant wait for the river boats for gamling

The Little River Tribe needs to cooperate with the sportfishing and charter boaters.They should give daily updates in local news papers for net locations and depths. They should also be happy to exceed the minimum amout of markers on the nets. This may help in keeping the peace.

i watched the net boats unload there catch and i saw numerous king salmon tails hanging out of black tubs and also saw thelm take a few slected fish from the boat to the cleaning table.

You need to find out if this is legal or not? They can take other species than whitefish. Lake trout in small numbers can be taken I think, I dont know if they can take salmon or other trout. I'm sure they probably do. They police themselves. Kind of fox and henhouse if you ask me !

Dear Mr. LRB

Your trap nets kill thousands of sport fish that is a reel fact.

Your LRB has never provided GPS coordinates to be posted in a timely fashion, your web site included.

Your forgetting real HUMAN BEINGS are fishing, boating, having fun with familys in the waters you choose to make even more dangerous by not considering they deserve to know and see your nets.

wjbrooks wrote
"The Tribes collectively are also putting a lot of resources - money and biologists - into monitoring the health of the Great Lakes - not just the tribal fishery but the fishery the sport/charter fishing community depends on."
Federal Grants (usa citizens monies) paid for all of this as you know wjbrooks.

Federal Grants have paid for Tribal Police to monitor the Great Lakes also as you know.

wjbrooks wrote "
The Little River fishers are using trap nets (which don't kill the fish) "
WJBROOKS go to http://www.1836cora.org/
it says many fish are trapped by nets and returned dead or alive, perch,salmon,walleye,lake trout are all fished this is fact suported by the Tribal Run 1836CORA website

wjbrooks wrote
"Response: The Tribal fishermen are not using large mesh gill nets and are not catching fish that are stocked."
Tribal small mesh gill nets (www.1836cora.org )are catching perch,walleye,and more they die when in a gill net if you did not know WJBROOKS.

Nets are not marked, last update on the www.1836cora.org website for net markings 2002-2003

time to play cowboys and indians

1pomofo wrote:

time to play cowboys and indians

did anyone ever stop playing?

Indian commercial nets/Non-Indian commercial nets; only difference is the color of someone's skin - thats whats really upsetting some folks. Whats next, hate crimes directed against us? How history repeats its self.

why do the indians even need to fish? arent they making enoughf off the casino and goverment funds or welfare?

1pomofo wrote:

why do the indians even need to fish? arent they making enoughf off the casino and goverment funds or welfare?

An obvious short cut from thinking....

The net's placed out of Manistee are marked accordingly, I will give them that much. But, I have to ask, are the net's even necessary? There is no money in this versus the revenue generated by the casino. I believe this whole netting operation is a complete farse & the LRBI is just doing this because they can. They will own the whole town of Manistee if we let them. I am watching the local economy in Manistee fall to complete zero, many small businesses have closed up or are close to it now. Our federal government has given all these rights to the sovereign nations and has given us nothing in return.(Except higher taxes, fuel prices, etc.)

TJ SPRINGSDORF wrote:

THE GILL NET SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE GREAT LAKES THE FISH THEY ARE NETTING ARE FOR THE MOST PARTS ARE PLANTED. ARE NOT CULTURALLY INHERENT TO THE TRIBAL INDIANS.THE DNR WITH TAX AND FISHING FEES ARE RESTOCKING THE LAKES. YOU SAID A 100 JOBS, BUT WHAT IF THE LOSE CHARTER FISHING. HOW MANY JOBS ARE WE GAINING.IF THEY ARE TO COMMERCIAL FISH THE INDIAN SHOULD BUILD FISH HATCHARY'S TO HELP WITH THE RESTOCKING OF THE GREAT LAKES.

Please proof read before you post

please proof read before you post

Tribal Fishing is a Treaty Right, gaming is not. Gaming exists because the Tribe's that signed the 1836 Treaty exercise their Treaty rights to fish. The US government granted and recognizes these Tribes legal status to govern themselves as a nation within the US Nation. It is legal what they are doing. The question is do white people/US citizens have to follow their own laws? If 1836 tribes did not fish they would not be exercising the Treaty Right they need to exercising to exist. Fortunately gaming provides a substantial amount of income so fewer people need to fish. Fishing is one of the few remaining cultural activities that connects Native people to the creator and perserves our Treaty Rights. Native people like everyone else are allowed to upgrade equipment with the times we live in. Commercial species that are allowed to harvested by current Consent Decree regulations include: Whitefish, Lake Trout, Perch, and Salmon. White commercial fishermen have been put out of business and are not allowed to fish by the State and sport groups.
Tribal and State Commercial Fishermen provide a high quality food product, whitefish, lake trout, perch, and walleye that this state is famous for, at a price that people can afford.
The Tribes do restock fish. Some sports fisherman act like threatening, frightening, agressive bullies and racists and think its OK to be that way regardless of what their countries laws say.

Sounds like you are part of the tribe.

Manistee is officially dead from the neck up. Why don't they do the world a favor and scoop up all the Goby's they can gobble.

After they buy up the town and ruin the fishing, they will be the only people left in that town. I can't wait until they hang that symbol on the Ramsdel Theater.

Welcome to Manis-tee-pee.