[ Search ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
91_SR0337
LRB9113727JMmb
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The yellow perch population in Lake Michigan
3 decreased in recent years because the non-native zebra
4 mussel, in its prolific invasion of the waters, consumes the
5 nutritious organisms needed by the young perch; and
6 WHEREAS, In an effort to protect the yellow perch
7 population, the Department of Natural Resources by rule has
8 permitted only sport fishermen to take that species from Lake
9 Michigan; and
10 WHEREAS, While this restriction has improved and
11 stabilized the yellow perch population, commercial fisheries
12 and processors have suffered great economic consequences; and
13 WHEREAS, Penalizing commercial fishermen for a situation
14 that was caused not by their own harvesting practices but by
15 the presence of the zebra mussel unfairly places the
16 interests of the commercial fishermen behind those of sport
17 fishermen; and
18 WHEREAS, Allowing commercial fishermen to harvest yellow
19 perch during the pre-spawning months of March and April would
20 ease the financial hardship imposed upon them, with little
21 detriment to the Department's goal of population protection;
22 therefore, be it
23 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
24 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we strongly urge the
25 Department of Natural Resources by rule to alter the
26 restriction upon the taking of yellow perch from Lake
27 Michigan to permit commercial fishermen to take yellow perch
28 during March and April in order to lessen the economic burden
29 the present limit has placed upon these Illinois businesses;
30 and be it further
31 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to
-2- LRB9113727JMmb
1 the Director of Natural Resources.