The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently finished surveying the general public in the midst of drafting its new Fisheries Management Strategic Plan, which will stay in place for the next 10 years.
According to a release, the DNR is responsible for managing and sustaining Wisconsin’s fisheries resources which include over 160 fish species, 15,000 lakes, 42,000 miles of perennial streams and rivers, two Great Lakes, and 260 miles of the Mississippi River. Members of the public were able to provide input until 10 May 2026 on the updated needs and plans for the next decade, involving best outcomes that benefit fisheries and ecosystems.
“It’s great to hear what members of the public and our partners value the most when it comes to fisheries management,” a DNR spokesperson told SeafoodSource. “This information lays the groundwork for ensuring that the work we do as a program is beneficial and important to people.”
Wisconsin's fisheries include commercial whitefish harvesting from Lake Michigan, and the state has also focused on potentially increasing its use of aquaculture.
A spokesperson for the DNR added that a survey of summary results and key findings will be included with the Strategic Plan, which should be available to the public in early 2027.
“This survey asks about the public’s preference for various broad outcomes that we aim to achieve through Bureau of Fisheries Management activities,” a DNR spokesperson told SeafoodSource. “Due to the broad nature of the survey, we do not anticipate that the results of these questions will directly impact commercial operations, which are one of several types of fisheries in Wisconsin waters. Rather, the results of the survey will inform Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Fisheries Management leadership about general public sentiment and value achieved from different objectives within our strategic plan, and could inform future decisions and prioritization of management activities once the plan is in effect. Beyond this survey, we are also having separate conversations with partners including commercial fisheries representation, to gather their thoughts while drafting the plan.”
Additionally, the spokesperson said that the format and scope of Wisconsin’s fisheries management strategic plan has shifted throughout the years it’s been published, and public input in some form has always been called upon.
“We found documentation of surveys being mailed to the public as part of plans as far back as 1980,” a DNR spokesperson told SeafoodSource.
