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Article: Invaded waters; Foreign mussels threaten a native living; Generations of tribal fishermen have chased whitefish in northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron for decades. Today, because of deadly invaders, their nets are heavy - with zebra mussels and green slime, not fish. In addition, fishermen have to travel farther to fill their holds.(NEWS)(SERIES: Invaded waters)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- June 13, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Tom Meersman; Staff Writer
Albert LaBlance noticed an ominous change along the shores of northern Lake Huron.
Bob Jensen saw it in northern Lake Michigan.
Fishing nets coated with green slime and encrusted with thousands of zebra mussels, nets too heavy to lift.
Dwindling catches of emaciated whitefish, some at half their normal weight.
What the two tribal fishermen have witnessed in the past few years are the devastating consequences of an ongoing scientific puzzle. The whitefish food supply at the lakes' bottom is gone, as if a rug had been pulled from beneath the waters, and scientists don't fully understand why.
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