Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

July 31, 2009

Tribal nets being set up in Huron, Michigan

FROM STAFF REPORTS

TRAVERSE CITY -- Boaters in northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are advised to watch out for tribal commercial salmon fishing nets being set from the beginning of August through October.

The nets have orange floats 6 inches by 14 inches spaced at intervals of 300 feet or less. Net ends are marked with 5-foot staffs colored with reflective orange color with a 12 inch by 12 inch orange flag on top.

The license number of the tribal fishers is on the net, and posters showing images of the nets, their general areas and contact information are displayed at boat launch sites in the area.

The Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority said boaters should exercise extreme caution when navigating those areas in low-light and bad weather conditions, and recommends that boaters navigate around the nets rather than between the staff buoys at net ends.

The authority regulates fishing operations of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

More information is available from the CORA office at (906) 632-0043.

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