In the late 19th century, commercial fishermen drew millions of
trout and whitefish from the Great Lakes every year.

Today, sport fisherman catch their game in the billions, causing
what a curator emeritus at the University Exhibit Museum of Natural
History calls a “terrible mess” to populations of more
than 200 species of Great Lakes fish — many of which dwell in
Michigan’s waters.

This was the topic of discussion for Gerald Smith, recently
retired biology professor and curator emeritus of fish, who spoke
to an audience of more than 50 students and Ann Arbor residents at
the museum last night. He also spoke about how the study of fish
has been a significant part of the restoration efforts of the Great
Lakes.

“Water that is good for sensitive fish and other aquatic
species is also good for all of our human uses,” he said.

The lecture kicked off the beginning of the “Life of the
Lakes” exhibit. Located in the Rotunda Lobby of the museum,
the exhibit explores the science, ecology and biodiversity of the
Great Lakes.

There are specific types of fish that can be used as special
indicators to monitor water quality. Non-native fish can trigger
biodiversity destruction.

For example, the introduction of numerous alewives — fish
native to the Gulf of Maine — in the 1870s caused many
rotting fish to wash up on lakeshores in the 1960s, producing
aesthetic and public health problems for both humans and fish.

According to Smith, there are 40 sites of biodiversity
degradation in the Great Lakes region.

“Michigan is an embarrassment,” Smith said.
“Michigan contributes to many of these sites, more than any
other political entity, even Ontario.”

He mentioned that Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said federal
lawsuits may be needed to prevent the introduction of
“alien” fish into Great Lakes waters.

But Smith also suggested other conservation recommendations that
include protecting water quality from pollution, increasing
awareness of special fish indicators and establishing uniform
regulations.

“Become activists … and advocate against pollution
and the release of non-native organisms into the Great Lakes for
any reason and work for the cleanup and conservation of the
environment,” Smith said, speaking directly to students.

In addition to speaking about the important purposes fish can
serve in determining the quality of water, Smith spoke about the
history of the region.

Native Americans were the first humans to use the Great Lakes
for fishing and transportation purposes but they did not deplete
the natural resources, Smith said.

By the 1870s however, the arrival of European settlers brought
evidence of diminishing fish populations.

“Year after year, millions of pounds of these fish were
captured without any control or regulations from the
government,” Smith said, referring to lake trout, lake
whitefish and ciscoes. These were the three main types of fish that
composed commercial catches for the first 100 years of American
history.

Since then, they have either become extinct or almost eliminated
by over-fishing and the introduction of non-native fish, he
said.

LSA junior David Yang said he thinks Ann Arbor residents and
students take natural resources like the Great Lakes and Ann
Arbor’s Huron River for granted.

“It was great to hear about environmental issues relating
to the Great Lakes and possible remedies for them,” he
said.

Smith’s talk and the opening of the exhibit also launched
a theme semester on biodiversity at the University.