S6 E3: The Lake Trout Resurgence In Lake Superior: A Conservation Success Story - An Interview with Shawn Sitar

Since the 1940’s, Lake Trout have been extinct in all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior. Pressure from commercial fishing as well as the invasion of sea lamprey devastated this native species, and the population in Lake Superior also suffered. For three generations an international team of scientists has been working to restore healthy Lake Trout populations in all the Great Lakes. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Shawn Sitar, Fisheries Research Biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to update the status of Lake Trout in Lake Superior.

Key Takeaways:

• Shawn Sitar explains his deep connection to Lake Superior, describing it as his hometown and emphasizing its pristine, natural state.
• He outlines how Lake Superior stands out among the Great Lakes - not only as the largest by surface area but also as the deepest - making it a unique ecosystem.
• The episode details the historical collapse of lake trout populations due to overfishing and invasive species, and highlights the international recovery efforts led by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
• Shawn discusses the three-prong approach to lake trout recovery: suppression of sea lampreys, controlled fishing, and hatchery stocking.
• He also addresses the challenges posed by climate change and evolving research techniques, emphasizing the need for long-term monitoring and adaptive management.

Notable Quotes:

• "I realized I look at Lake Superior as my hometown. I love that."
• "It is the largest lake on the earth in terms of surface area. So that's the statistics there. Lake Superior is also the deepest among the Great Lakes."
• "In fact, lake trout were extinct in all the Great Lakes except Lake Superior."
• “By the 1960s, if we look at Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, the absence of lake trout, the top boss in the system, created a lot of havoc. And during that time period in the late 50s and 60s and 70s, there was another invasive called the alewife, which is a small oily fish from the Atlantic Ocean that came up. And it just basically boomed in the Great Lakes."
• "During my career working on Lake Superior and the Great Lakes, I've already seen surface temperatures increase from when I started till now. There's a lot of variation around it. And I think there's already research ongoing to assess the impact."

Resources:

• Michigan Department of Natural Resources Website: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr
• Great Lakes Fishery Commission Website: http://www.glfc.org
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation Website: https://nplsf.org
• Documentary “Fish Thief”: https://www.thefishthief.com/ 

Connect With Us:

• Website: https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/NPLSF

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports: Supporting environmental sustainability in coffee-growing regions since 1993. Learn more: https://cafeimports.com/
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation: Support vital projects by donating at https://nplsf.org

Be sure to tune in to this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast to hear Shawn Sitar’s in-depth insights on the lake trout recovery efforts, the unique characteristics of Lake Superior, and the ongoing challenges and innovations in Great Lakes fisheries research.