Fisheries Management Zone 9 (Lake Superior)

Fisheries Management Zone 9 (FMZ 9) includes the Canadian waters of Lake Superior. Its northwestern boundary is the international border at the Pigeon River. The southeastern boundary is the compensating works on the St. Marys River, in Sault Ste. Marie. The southern border of FMZ 9 is the international boundary that divides Lake Superior between Canada and the United States. Fisheries Management Zone 9 includes all of the islands within the zone except for St. Ignace and Simpson Islands (FMZ 6) and Michipicoten Island (FMZ 10). In most cases, the FMZ boundary extends across river mouths of tributaries that flow into Lake Superior.  Get detailed boundary maps for the Great Lakes Fisheries Management Zones.

Communities adjacent to FMZ 9 include the City of Thunder Bay, the towns of Dorion, Red Rock, Nipigon, Rossport, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Marathon, Wawa and the City of Sault Ste. Marie. In addition, there are seven First Nations communities found around the zone: Fort William First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band, Pays Plat First Nation, Pic River First Nation, Pic Mobert First Nation, Michipicoten First Nation and Batchewana First Nation.

Lake Superior has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world. Fisheries Management Zone 9 contains and borders some of Lake Superior's most unique aquatic and terrestrial environments. Many of these features are protected provincially and nationally, including the proposed Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.

Fisheries Management in FMZ 9

Coaster brook trout from FMZ 9.  Photo credit: Eric Berglund

The management goal for this FMZ is to rehabilitate and maintain a diverse, healthy and self-regulating fish community, dominated by indigenous species and supporting sustainable fisheries.

Historically, the waters of FMZ 9 supported an off shore coldwater fish community dominated by lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco. Near shore areas supported lake sturgeon, walleye, brook trout, yellow perch and Northern pike. Changes have occurred to the fish community as a result of exotic species invasions and habitat loss. As a result, fisheries management in FMZ 9 is focused on fish community rehabilitation.

FMZ 9 has recreational and tourism-based fisheries for native species such as lake trout, walleye, yellow perch and (coaster) brook trout as well as introduced species such as Chinook salmon and coho salmon and rainbow trout in both open waters and tributaries. There is an active commercial fishery in FMZ 9 that targets lake whitefish, walleye, cisco, lake trout and yellow perch. Ongoing change in the fish community continues to influence the fisheries in FMZ 9.

The Upper Great Lakes Management Unit formed the FMZ 9 Advisory Council in 2009 to provide advice to MNR managers responsible for fisheries management within this zone. Given the diversity of uses and issues affecting the ecosystem and fisheries resources in the area (e.g., recreational fishing, commercial fishing, tourism, native species rehabilitation etc.), it is expected that the FMZ 9 Advisory Council will discuss topics spanning multiple uses and fish species.

International Management on Lake Superior

Fisheries Management

Aquatic resources of Lake Superior, including the waters of FMZ 9, are managed cooperatively between the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; the Canadian Federal Government; the States of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan; the Chippewa/Ottawa Resources Authority; the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and United States federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The Great Lakes Fisheries Commission coordinates this cooperative management approach and leads sea lamprey control activities.

Strategic planning for Great Lakes fisheries is guided by the Joint Strategic Plan for Great Lakes Fishery Management (this PDF is available on the website of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission). Under the Joint Strategic Plan each of the Great Lakes has developed lake specific Fish Community Objectives. The Fish Community Objectives for Lake Superior (this PDF is available on the website of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission) provides long-term guidance for fisheries management programs on Lake Superior.

Project of Concern to the MNR and the FMZ 9 Advisory Council:
 

Black Bay and Black Sturgeon River Environmental Assessment

Black Bay is a large bay on the north shore of Lake Superior. Historically, Black Bay supported the largest population of walleye in Lake Superior. In 1968 the population collapsed due to a combination of factors, including over fishing and habitat loss. Construction of a dam on the Black Sturgeon River is believed to have blocked access to spawning areas for walleye as well as lake sturgeon and other native fish species.

Young lake sturgeon.  Photo credit: Eric Berglund

The Ministry of Natural Resources is considering removing the existing dam on the Black Sturgeon River and replacing it with a new sea lamprey barrier upstream. Removing the dam would permit fish passage to areas that are thought to have been important spawning sites for native species. Replacing the dam with a barrier farther upstream would continue to support effective and cost-efficient control of the invasive sea lamprey in the Black Sturgeon watershed. Removing the existing dam would also address structural concerns that have been identified by MNR engineers.

Both the existing dam and the site of the proposed new sea lamprey barrier are found within the boundaries of the Black Sturgeon River Provincial Park. The proposal to decommission the dam is being evaluated under the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves. The initial opportunity for public comment closed on January 31, 2013.  Next steps are to produce a Draft Environmental Study Report and later provide opportunity for public comment.