Red Lake Fishery to Open

From the Star Tribune

Last update: April 09, 2007 – 11:52 PM

Shakopee tribe awards Red Lake fishery grant
A commercial walleye fishery scheduled to reopen on Red Lake this summer 10 years after it was closed because of overfishing received a $1 million grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the tribe said Monday.

The grant will help the Red Lake Band of Chippewa open the fishery that had been a significant source of jobs and revenue for some of the 6,000 residents of the Red Lake reservation, said Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community tribal administrator Bill Rudnicki.

“When we do grants, we’re looking to improve the quality of life for Indian people,” he said.

The Red Lake band voted to shut down the fishery in 1997 when walleye stocks disappeared; then, under a plan adopted by the band and state and federal officials, restocking of the lake began in 1999. The lake reopened for fishing last year.

The Red Lake band controls 241,000 acres, or about 85 percent of the 289,000-acre body of water; the state owns the rest. Red Lake officials have said members most likely will use hook and line or trap nets rather than gill nets, which were used in the past. The fish will be harvested by hand.

The Shakopee tribe expects to announce $20 million in grants this year, Rudnicki said. Last year the tribe made a $1 million grant to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa for a new Boys & Girls club.

I find this unacceptable.

I think we saw this coming.

You had to know this was coming. I wonder how long it will take before the nets come out again.

I too find this unacceptable…

History will repeat itself. I wonder what “limits” have been discussed, and if there is/was talk about not using certain techniques like gillnets.

I wonder how the “media” will cover this……

To all the resort owners on Red Lake, I suggest you sell as soon as possible. The backlash from this will be swift and severe.

What a F@^$#@ JOKE!!!!!! You know what. Im sick of the whole thing. Give them Red. The whole dam thing. And leave ALL the other lakes alone. One law for all others. No more nets anywhere. Nothing. And no funding for Red. Take it and manage it. And since we can’t touch your precious lake/land use you own law enforcement when your people go missing or open fire on others…..

The cruel irony is that we are taxed, then our tax dollars are paid out to those in need. However, a lot of that money ends up at Mystic Lake. From there, it is used to set up a commercial fishery that will harvest fish that were placed in the lake by our tax dollars.

I think that isnt double taxation, we are into exponential taxation (esp if you include the state gas tax paid to get to Red).

A totally unacceptable answer, how can a grant be given to start something that took ten years to recover from.

Wow

I’m guessing most all of us saw this coming when the restocking effort was put in place. It’s just the way it is and will always be until we can vote in the proper politicians to change the current laws. If you(we) really want change, demand it from your federal representatives.

I’m not going to lose any sleep over this, simply because at this point, it’s out of my control. My tax dollars will continue to feed the native americans long after I’ve left this world.

Suggestion: The DNR doesn’t have the sense to keep from entering into a bad deal, now we are paying the price, again. Demand action from them, tell them to stop any and all funding for the Red Lake stocking/management effort. As of late, they seem to be getting better and better about wasting the minimal funding they have available to them.

I feel sorry for the resorts up there who have experienced a small amount of revenue surge the last few years. I will not be coming to Red anytime soon. It’s my little boycott.

WHAT A JOKE.

What a brilliant plan! Carelessly Overfish a body of water, let the MN DNR, license buying Minnesotans and Minnesota rehibilitate the lake, then slaughther it again…. How can this happen????? This never ceases to AMAZE me on how these nightmares can unfold. Just tell the other casinos to help their fellow tribes out and share their proceeds… Not destroy a resource everybody else work hard to recover??

Remember this issue everytime you stop into a casino. Every single sportsman that drops even a quarter into a slot or even stops in for a buffet is guilty of helping these issues blow up in our face! We need to elect and support officails that will take a hard stand for us. Our State has failed us in all areas of Tribal issues. It’s time to put a state run casino to a vote and use some of the proceeds for sportmen to lobby these dirty politicians to vote our way on these matters. We knew this would happen, what a waste! Remember it’s your money that is causing these things to happen, stop all casino spending today and we’ll see how the climate starts to change!!!

In 10-20 years no walleyes and tons of them giant crappies. Can’t wait. Then they will restock with walleye its a 20 year cycle.

Here we go AGAIN .

Quote:

---

Remember this issue everytime you stop into a casino. Every single sportsman that drops even a quarter into a slot or even stops in for a buffet is guilty of helping these issues blow up in our face!

---

Exactly. When I see parking lots full of trucks and trailers I just shake my head.

Quote:

---

In 10-20 years no walleyes and tons of them giant crappies. Can’t wait. Then they will restock with walleye its a 20 year cycle.

---

Good one!!

Forget that, take the lake back it belongs to MN and all it’s residents, not to the tribe, period.

Netting need to stop, period.

Quote:

---

Forget that, take the lake back it belongs to MN and all it’s residents, not to the tribe, period.

---

Nick is right. I think that we should take the lake back and let everyone enjoy it. I read this article two hours ago and had to leave because I was so . Fish it out again and the true loosers up there are the resort owners who put alot of time and $$$ into the economy. Lots of good people but I wont go back up there and fish that water anymore. Even though we all have paid for it to become what it once was.

“Harvested by hand” — gill nets pulled into boat by hand, fish picked out of gill nets by hand. . .

Not to post the popular opinion………….
1. With a million dollars worth of resources, the Red Lake tribe should be able to formulate a sustainable harvest system and quota simular to the Mille Lacs system. To assume that they would thoughtlessly produce another walleye disaster could be way off base.
2. Considering the vast amount of lake that the tribe controls and the small size of the tribe, a sustainable harvest would have a major economic impact on members.
3. Anything they can do to better their condition that does not require Federal dollars is OK by me.
4. I’m actually pleasantly surprised to see that the Shakopee tribe is helping out another tribe. I was under the impression that the Mystic Lake dollars stayed within the tribe to the tune of a half million per. With that said, I admit that I have never left any of my hard earned dollars there and don’t intend to start. The state and county absorb the costs for supporting the casino (roads,emergency services, utility infrastructure) and the tribe gets the benefit of no taxes. Maybe a toll road leading to the casino could be voted on?
I digress…………where was I………………….
I (we) should hope that the Red Lake band learned their lesson and this plan will work out for all involved before we start slamming them for past mistakes.

Don’t tell me any of you guys are surpised by this?

This was more than obvious that harvesting would occurr.

Don’t blame the indians on Red Lake. They are one of the poorest tribes in the state. They are actually “poverty” level.

Blame your government for this. They put your tax dollars in the lake to restock it. If I recall correctly, $20,000,000+ to do it.

If I also recall correctly, there isn’t a whole lot that the government can do to ever prevent the indians from harvesting again.

So, what the government should have done was walk away from it. Your tax dollars is funding this operation.

Now, in another point of view, think about it.

You are a farmer and you destroy your farm by improper management. Your neighbor comes in and fixes it for you………for FREE……..why not continue farming???

The indians were BRILLIANT with this move.

Go fire your people in government for their actions and hold THEM accountible on this.

I got another idea…….Maybe out DNR should go up into Ontario and assist with re-stocking programs up there too? Same difference……..IT AIN’T YOURS and NEVER WAS and NEVER WILL BE……….but YOU funded it!

I would not doubt that the “grant ” money has BIA(Federal tax $$) all over it. Just shuffled through the Mystic people…

Gary…the government DOES have a choice. End the sham called sovereignty and the whole thing goes away. Remember…on the record…”at the pleasure of the President”.

not that i don’t share in your frustration, but if i am correct

Quote:

---

$20,000,000+

---

is a whole lot more than the actual amount invested.

Quote:

---

Our State has failed us in all areas of Tribal issues. It’s time to put a state run casino to a vote and use some of the proceeds for sportmen to lobby these dirty politicians

---

Im so mad I cant think of anything to say right now except our state is turning into a joke Politicians they just dont get it

I think I’ll go throw up now…good grief, all that time and STATE/FEDERAL money spent to bring back the lake are being crapped down the tubes.

I really hope someone from the Res. responds to this. Adam

theres a simple solution in my eyes-STAY OUT OF THE CASINO”S-Where do you think they get there money to do this???

Quote:

---

not that i don’t share in your frustration, but if i am correct

Quote:

---

$20,000,000+

---

is a whole lot more than the actual amount invested.

---

No, actually the amount invested by the state is much higher than that. Over twice as much.

The state has paid the Red Lake Tribe $40,000,000 for the fishing rights to that small N.E. corner of the lake that we are allowed to fish. Add on top of that the cost of all the research, re-stocking, and monitoring and it is even more. That doesn’t take into account all the lakes in the state that had their walleye stocking reduced, or even cut off entirely because of the walleye fry being sent to Red Lake. Most, if not all the fry used in that re-stocking came from the Woman Lake stripping station.

As for the Mystic Lake tribe aiding them, I agree with the comment earlier that it is most likely some federal moneys being funneled thru that tribe.

Pretty soon the Mystic Lake casino buffet will be featuring “Minnesota Walleye”.

I haven’t been to a Indian casino in about 4 years. Last time I was there, the bulk of gamblers I seen were retired and more than likely, not active hunter/fisherman. I doubt a fishermans $8.00 for the breakfast buffet will matter much in the scheme of things. It should have not been restocked, unless the Shakoppe Indians wanted to pay for it.

big g

I have some advice to the indians. Open the upper and lower lake to the public, stop the netting, build a big resort/casino, cater to the fisherman, and have one of the world best walleye fisheries and make millions. Its simple. Kind of like Spirit Lake ND