Step into the world of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan, where deep-rooted tradition meets a rapidly changing environment. This episode traces the importance of whitefish, the effects of rising water temperatures, and the challenges facing fishing families as they navigate shifting policies and climate pressures. Hear how the future of a generational industry hangs in the balance and what’s at stake for the communities that depend on it.
Episode Guide
- 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition
- 02:14 Karen Murchie, director of freshwater research at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, shares the importance of freshwater ecosystems and the food they produce (but it’s a misnomer to call it “seafood!”)
- 07:20 A generational Great Lakes fishery steeped in tradition - meet Lakon Williams, operations manager and owner of Bayport Fish Company, a historic fishery on Michigan’s Saginaw Bay
- 11:14 Whitefish: a critically important fish in Lake Michigan’s commercial fishery
- 16:25 Lakon shares the history of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan and her frustrations about its historical and current management
- 23:23 Recreational fisheries influence the management of fisheries resources
- 28:12 According to the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, the Great Lakes show a trend toward higher water temperatures Lakon shares how that is affecting the fishery
- 34:21 The Department of Natural Resources and their relationship with the commercial fishing companies
- 38:06 The Great Lakes’ fishing industry is in “dire straits”
- 41;32 While not great for the native fish of the lakes, the introduced species Asian carp, or copi, represents a market opportunity
- 43:12 Lakon ends the episode sharing that while she hopes to leave a thriving and sustainable business to her family’s third generation, she’s wary of the future
Resources
-
-
Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.
-
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.