Expanding the fight against lake trout

FLATHEAD LAKE — Fall Mack Days wrapped things up last weekend, and while the event has been a smashing success two seasons out of the year, more still needs to be done to control the level of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake.

“We’ve been very pleased with how the tournament has gone and the reception from the public,” Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Fisheries biologist Barry Hansen said. “But we’re not getting there with the contest alone.”

In order to combat the levels of non-native lake trout, other options could include netting and commercial fishing strategies, but Hansen said they still want to include all anglers when they can.

Despite the clear need, there are problems standing in the way of implementing these tools to help equalize the eco-system of Flathead Lake. In order for the Tribes and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to use those types of methods, they would need legislative approval, and so far, that has been denied.

With elections coming up, that could change. To prepare for another round of legislative battle, an environmental assessment is in the works, which will help determine which alternative option is most acceptable.

According to the Mack Days website, a team has met four times to come up with 11 alternatives to reduce lake trout numbers in Flathead Lake. In August, the group narrowed down the alternatives, but still chose to retain the chance of using the full range of possibilities. The team also developed a lake trout population model with a researcher from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and arranged for a economist to help with the study.

While the other options shouldn’t take away from the spirit of the Mack Day event, Hansen said there wouldn’t be a point to the popular fishing event if the other methods aren’t implemented and the non-native lake trout problem continues to grow.

“It raises a lot of awareness and we think we will always have Mack Days,” Hansen said. “There’s a lot of work going on right now and we encourage public involvement and awareness.”