Environment & Climate

Michigan plans captive breeding program to rescue declining wild whitefish stocks

Michigan officials plan captive breeding to protect wild whitefish, Associated Press reports.

Updated Sep 8, 2026 · 19:48 UTC1 reports

The short version

Michigan officials plan to gather wild whitefish from Lake Michigan for captive breeding to safeguard their genetic stocks.[Associated Press]
The initiative is supported by $350,000 from the state budget and nearly $900,000 from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust.[Associated Press]
Commercial whitefish harvests have dropped significantly, falling from 6.9 million pounds in 2009 to under 2 million pounds last year.[Associated Press]
Existing funds cover only a couple of years of hatchery costs for selected fish populations.[Associated Press]

State officials plan to collect wild whitefish from Lake Michigan to breed them in captivity and protect their genetic stocks.[Associated Press]
The effort is backed by $350,000 from Michigan's state budget and nearly $900,000 from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust.[Associated Press]
Commercial whitefish harvests fell from 6.9 million pounds in 2009 to less than 2 million pounds last year.[Associated Press]

Doug Craven warned that failing to act this year might leave too few wild fish remaining in those stocks.[Associated Press]
Existing funding covers hatchery operations, food, and related expenses for only some populations over a couple of years.[Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.