1. Purchase lead-free fishing tackle.

When lead fishing sinkers are lost through broken line or other means, birds can inadvertently eat them. Water birds like loons and swans often swallow lead when they scoop up pebbles from the bottom of a lake or river to help grind their food. Eagles ingest lead by eating fish that have swallowed sinkers.

The good news is that non-lead fishing tackle is available at many bait stores or by ordering it on the Internet.

Want to purchase lead-free fishing tackle? Here’s a list of manufacturers and how to order non-toxic tackle on the Internet: http://www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/sinkers.cfm#manufacturers

The Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance has a free fact sheet called “Let’s Get the Lead Out!” that explains the problems and alternatives to lead sinkers: http://www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/sinkers.cfm.

Download or order multiple copies and bring them to your next club meeting to talk about with your members.

2. Discard old lead sinkers and jigs properly.

For example, you may want to bring them to your local household hazardous waste collection site during your next visit. Never throw old fishing gear into the water or near shore where birds or other animals can eat them.

3. Spread the word.

Tell other anglers about the problem, and encourage them to switch to non-lead sinkers and jigs. Talk to your favorite retailers and ask them to stock non-lead fishing tackle.

4. Learn about the problems with aquatic invasive plant and animal species.

Aquatic invasive organisms are non-native (or alien) to an ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Examples of aquatic invasive species that are disrupting the balance of Lake Superior’s ecosystems include the zebra mussel, sea lamprey, and the round goby.

Educate yourself and your angling or boating club members about the dangers of these invasive species by getting free information from your state, provincial, or tribal departments of natural resources.

The Minnesota Sea Grant is a good place to start looking for more information about species threatening Lake Superior: http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/exotics/fieldguide.html

Wisconsin and Michigan also have Sea Grant agencies.

5. Prevent the transport of harmful invasive species from one lake or river to another.

In some states and provinces it is illegal to transport these harmful invasive species.

The following activity list is excerpted from the Minnesota Sea Grant web site (address above).

·        Inspect your boat, trailer, and boating equipment (anchors, centerboards, rollers, axles) and remove any plants and animals that are visible before leaving any water body.

·        Drain water from the motor, live well, bilge, and transom wells while on land before leaving any water body.

• Empty your bait bucket on land before leaving the water body. Never release live bait into a water body, or release aquatic animals from one water body into another.
• Wash and dry your boat, tackle, downriggers, trailer, and other boating equipment to kill harmful species that were not visible at the boat launch. This can be done on your way home or once you have returned home. Some aquatic nuisance species can survive more than two weeks out of the water, so it is important to:
  • Rinse your boat and equipment that normally get wet with HOT (at least 40°C or 104°F) tap water; or
  • Spray your boat and trailer with high-pressure water; or
  • Dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days, before transporting to another water body.
• Learn what these organisms look like (at least those you can see). If you suspect a new infestation of an exotic plant or animal, report it to your natural resource agency.
• Consult your natural resource agency for recommendations and permits before you try to control or eradicate an exotic "pest." Remember, exotic "pest" species thrive on disturbance. Do-it-yourself control treatments often make matters worse and can harm native species.

6. Ask your favorite bait shops to display free posters or materials about invasive species, especially during the month of July.  The US Department of Agriculture has a free poster you can download at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/invasive/invasive.html

Order invasive species identification cards for about seven cents each and distribute them to your anglers or boating club members, other community groups’ members, or bait shops. Go to the Michigan Sea Grant web site to order ID cards: http://www.miseagrant.com/ and click on “Publications.”

Sample ID card (two-sided card)

7. Put up a display in your local library about Lake Superior fish, ecosystems, or important issues.

Using posters, fact sheets, and library books and materials, work with your librarian to design a display for the month of July. Materials are available at your state, provincial, or tribal departments of natural resources, from universities, or the US EPA or Environment Canada (see this site’s Government Sector web page for contact information).

A poster, “Life of the Lakes: Great Lakes Ecosystem”, MSG 03-401 - 20''x28'', is $7.50 and can be ordered from Michigan Sea Grant. This poster features beautiful color illustrations, diagrams, and photographs. It complements “Life of the Lakes: A Guide to Great Lakes Fishery,” another poster available at Michigan Sea Grant.

To order, go to http://www.miseagrant.com/ and click on “Publications.”

8. Talk to your local marina owners and managers and ask them to give each slip user a copy of the free guide, “Ship Shape: A Guide to Reducing Pollutants for Marinas, Boaters, and Other Coastal Customers,” published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (Publication Number CE-4002-2002).

You can order free copies at the DNR web site: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/nps/publications/Pubsorder.pdf

9. Schedule a speaker to come to your club’s meeting and talk about a fish or water issue that’s a high priority in your region.

10. Take a kid fishing!

Help young people appreciate the importance of clean water and healthy fish.

World Wide Rendezvous web site has a section about kids fishing days, including a directory of events in the US and Canada so you can see if there’s an event in your community.

http://www.wwrendezvous.com/ Click on “Kids Fishing Tips” in the green section of text, or follow this link:

http://www.wwrendezvous.com/kids-fishing-youth-fishing.shtml

11. Contact a federal, state, or local elected official about a Lake Superior issue that concerns you.

12. Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and give your views or information about an issue facing Lake Superior. For example, encourage anglers to use non-lead tackle and refer readers to local stores that sell it. Thank local stores that already sell alternative supplies.

13. Support proper catch and release techniques when you fish.

Take only what you intend to eat. Instead of keeping a large or special fish, take a photo of it, and then put it back in the water.

The Catch & Release Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of sport fishing throughout North America. The Foundation serves to advise, educate, and develop support for the research and management of programs designed to conserve and improve our aquatic resources.

http://www.catchandreleasefound.org/

14. Practice boating and fishing etiquette.

For information in the US, visit the National Safe Boating Council at http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/

For information in Canada, visit the Canadian Safe Boating Council at  http://www.csbc.ca/

15. Practice safe operation of your boat when fueling and launching your boat.

Pat’s Boating in Canada is one of the oldest, largest boating information sites in Canada. Here’s a fact sheet about safe and environmentally friendly fueling methods: http://boating.ncf.ca/gas.html

16. Organize a beach clean up event, especially in a public area. Invite your club members’ friends and families to help. Tell your local newspaper about your event and invite them to report on it or take photographs for publication. Ask a local business to donate garbage bags or pay for the disposal fee.

Canada has a national beach clean up event every year: http://www.vanaqua.org/cleanup/

This site describes in detail how to conduct a successful clean up event in any community.

Another web site that details each step in a beach clean-up is www.litterproject.com.

17. Organize a storm drain stenciling project in a city or town near Lake Superior.

Storm water is water that flows along the ground and pavement when it rains or when snow and ice melt. The water seeps into the ground or drains into storm sewers. Storm drains are often covered by large, open grates, or may be open drains along roadways. Storm drains are found in low-lying areas of parking lots, along streets, and around buildings.

Many storm drains are now being marked, so that people know they lead to a local lake, river, stream or ocean, not to a wastewater treatment facility. A storm drain stenciling project consists of stenciling a message next to the street drain that reminds people "Dump No Waste--Drains to River."

The US EPA has a very informative site about how to conduct a project in your community: http://www.epa.gov/adopt/patch/html/guidelines.html

The City of Waterloo, Ontario, ran a successful storm drain marking program:

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/PWS/Environment/PIP/downloads/YFRInstructorsGuideSummary.pdf

(Or go to  and click on “City Government,” then “Parks and Works Services.”

18. If your club or group has a web site, link it to this web site!

No approval is necessary, although notifying the Lake Superior Binational Forum that you’ve added a link is helpful. Contact us at lakesuperiorday@northland.edu.

19. Organize a community event that promotes fun and resourceful fishing.

An angling group in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, organized an event called "Cops, Kids & Fishing" with area conservation and police officers who gave presentations about water safety, map and compass activities, rules and regulations, why enforcement agencies exist, how to respect fishing and angling laws, and conservation rules.

This activity was held on the waterfront in a park-like area; local businesses provided funding for small prizes, kids’ tee shirts, and other items. Children had a chance to try their fishing skills from a boardwalk fronting the river (approved life jackets had to be worn), and certificates and prizes were distributed to all participants. This event brought many parents, kids, and law enforcement people together in a very positive way.

For more information on this event, contact Gerry Forsell at gforsell@hotmail.com 

You could also work with schools and youth organizations, such as Boy or Girl Scouts, and teach fishing ethics, types of fishing and fishing equipment, how to use equipment, different types of bait, rods, reels, lines, and other presentations.

Or, organize a more sophisticated adult fishing derby. Remember to invite children whenever appropriate so they learn how to fish responsibly, too. 

Links for Anglers, Boaters, and Sports Enthusiasts

The Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) web site gives an overview of the invasive species problem in the Great Lakes:

http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/invasive/invasive.html

The Great Lakes Sports Fishing Council has a web site for sport and commercial anglers. Representing the national sport fishing community on Congressionally mandated federal Ruffe Control Committee and Great Lakes Panel on Exotics, the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council recognizes the seriousness of incidentally introduced foreign species (exotics) into our ecosystem. The Council has a web site that helps anglers learn more about the invasion of these unwanted exotics. Here’s a link to the site: http://www.great-lakes.org/exotics.html

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters  (OFAH) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with 81,000 members and 660 member clubs. The OFAH evolved to what it is today when a group of anglers met in 1928 over concern for the future of Ontario's natural resources. Protecting and enhancing Ontario's natural resources has always been the primary mandate of the OFAH.

This link describes invasive species problems in Ontario:

http://www.invadingspecies.com/

Invasivespecies.gov

Invasivespecies.gov is the gateway to Federal efforts concerning invasive species. On this site you can learn about the impacts of invasive species and the Federal government's response, as well as read select species profiles and find links to agencies and organizations dealing with invasive species issues. Invasivespecies.gov is also the Web site for the National Invasive Species Council, which coordinates Federal responses to the problem.

http://www.invasivespecies.gov/