OUR FIRST INDUSTRY
Commercial fishing has been a way of life for many.
Since the early days of settling the Great Lakes region, there has always been a sustenance fishery. These skills were passed down from generation to generation and fed our ancestors as they built the civilization we know.
In the early 1900’s the Great Lakes fishery suffered its first attack of many - an invasive species that decimated the top catch of the time. Over the next 70 years, more invasives poured into the lakes through man-made waterways, causing many to abandon the trade. Those who remained suffered even further loss from neglect of fair governmental regulations.
Today, where there once were thousands, only a few dozen remain.
Now, the commercial fishery faces new challenges, and they fight for their survival against outdated regulations and a public misconception about what it means to be a commercial fisherman.
