There was a day and age when Great Lakes commercial fishing ruled the waterfront. While that day has largely faded into the history books, a Michigan DNR Biologist will bring it back to life later this month when he makes a major presentation at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven.
The Maritime Museum will host speaker Tom Goniea, a biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, to present his research on historical commercial fishing in the years surrounding WWII. His presentation: “Historical Great Lake Fisheries: Commercial Fishing in the Early and Mid-20th Century” is slated for the museum on Wednesday, February 21st from 6:30pm-7:30pm in South Haven.
The middle of the 20th century was an interesting and defining time in Great Lakes Management. Native species were in severe decline or extirpated completely from parts of the Great Lakes while invasive species were playing an increasingly devastating role. Technological advancements had greatly increased the efficiency of an over capitalized and severely under-regulated commercial fishery. For the first time the public had mechanical access to the Great Lakes. The post war economic boom brought prosperity and leisure to the masses. Together those forces moved Great Lakes Management from one centered around commercial fishing to one that primarily emphasized recreational pursuit. Goniea will discuss the period from the 1930s to the 1960s which brought about that shift and laid the groundwork for the modern fishery as we know it today.
Goniea was born and raised in Michigan. He received his Bachelors Degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in 2002 from the University of Idaho. Since that time, he has spent the last 15 years working as a fish biologist with the Michigan DNR. Continued areas of involvement include the Commercial Fishing Program, Scientific Collector’s Permit Program, Reptile and Amphibian Representative, and Fishing Tournament Liaison.
The Michigan Maritime Museum Lecture Series will run once a month through April and will center around WWII maritime topics. The lectures will all be located at the Museum inside their newest WWII themed exhibit that opened last April. Ashley Deming is the Museum’s Director of Education and Administration. She says, “We’re very excited about this lecture series,” and adds, “We have had a wonderful response so far from the public and we hope people will continue to come out to the presentations to celebrate and remember The Greatest Generation right here on the homefront.”
Admission to the session is $8 or $7 for seniors. There is no admission fee for Museum members. Tickets will include admission to the Museum’s newest exhibit, Lake Michigan’s Call to Duty. For more information, you can contact the Museum directly at 269-637-8078 or visit www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/events/
Photo credit to the Michigan Maritime Museum for the photo of Goniea accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.
