What are your whitefish memories, Michigan? Beloved fish on the brink
- Bridge Michigan wants your stories, photos and questions about Great Lakes whitefish
- The fish are on the brink in lakes Michigan and Huron, the result of a mussel invasion that has them struggling to reproduce
- This week, Bridge kicks off a summer-long reporting project on the crisis
Whitefish are on the brink.
Survivors for thousands of years, the iconic Great Lakes species is vanishing from lakes Michigan and Huron, areas once considered prime grounds for the silver-scaled beauties.
Today, Bridge Michigan kicks off a summer-long reporting project on the looming collapse and what it means for not only dinnerplates but the health of our beloved Great Lakes.
- Your turn: What do whitefish mean to you? Email us
We hope you’ll read our opening story, which explains why it’s happening and what it means for our state’s economy and way of life.
We’ve also put the crisis in context, showing how whitefish are just the latest in a parade of species that have been pushed to the brink, with more losses looming as humans rapidly warm the planet’s climate, raze wild landscapes, pollute the environment and spread invasive species around the globe.
Related:
- Iconic whitefish on edge of collapse as Great Lakes biodiversity crisis deepens
- What’s more Michigan than whitefish? Collapse erodes bit of state’s identity
- It’s not just whitefish: 407 Michigan species on brink amid historic die-off
- Whitefish are on brink in Michigan. Can they learn to love rivers to survive?
- Invasive mussels now control key Great Lakes nutrients, threatening fish
Expect more coverage throughout the summer. We’ll hear from lifelong fishermen and women who are watching their livelihoods disappear, scientists who are racing to save whitefish and those scrambling to suppress invasive mussels that are causing the decline.
We want to hear from you: What are your fondest memories of Michigan whitefish? How does the looming collapse in lakes Michigan and Huron affect you? And what solutions, if any, do you want to see from lawmakers, regulators or others?
We’re also looking for tips, other ideas for reporting and we’ll even take recipes.
Drop us a line at khouse@bridgemi.com.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
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- Share tips and questions with Bridge environment reporter Kelly House
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