Local News

Freshwater education

ESCANABA -- The first Mi Fresh Fish Fest outside of Houghton took place this weekend in Escanaba. The fisheries theme was further enhanced by the appearance of Inland Seas, a schooner used for education on the Great Lakes.

The main attraction for most people was the food station, which lured a queue of people. For free, visitors were served fresh-fried whitefish and perch that had been caught by Zach King of Naubinway. Volunteers, including from the local Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen, helped cook.

Mi Fresh Fish Fest started three years ago, said Dr. Lauren Stigers, a Michigan State University (MSU) Extension educator based in Houghton. Fisheries and aquaculture are her primary fields.

Stigers coordinates Mi Fresh Fish Fest as one way to bring science-based, location-relevant education to the public. She also communicates with Inland Seas Education Association, which is a separate nonprofit organization with related goals.

Inland Seas is also the name of the nonprofit's sailboat, a two-masted schooner that is used to provide educational experiences aboard the floating school.

The event was made possible through Michigan Sea Grant, which is part of a national network of more than 30 university-based programs in the country administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In addition to federal funding, Michigan Sea Grant is cooperatively supported by the MSU's Community, Food and Environment Institute (CFEI) as well as University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS).

The Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation was responsible for bringing Sea Grant to Escanaba. Stigers said it was the Kobasic Foundation that reached out to Sea Grant to get the ball rolling.

"They were interested in learning about local fisheries," Stigers said, so she decided to bring the festival usually held in Houghton to Little Bay de Noc and invited Inland Seas to join.

Inland Seas offered four time slots for people to travel out for an educational sail. Two were public, one was for K-12 teachers and one was for 4-H. All four trips were fully-booked. Passengers on those rides got to see plankton collection and look at samples under an on-board microscope.

On Friday afternoon, as members of the public descended upon Ludington Park for the festival at the Escanaba Marina, they discovered not only the free fish fry that was the major draw, but also several other tents.

An activity children enjoyed at the Friday event was trout fishing in a pool stationed outside the Escanaba Yacht Club. The setup had been provided by Dino Giannola of Watersmeet Trout Hatchery and Fish Farm.

Darren Kramer from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources brought fish mounts to show what sort of wildlife lives in Lake Michigan and challenge people to name the species presented.

Food Safety Educator Stephanie Ostrenga from MSU Extension stood at another table, talking about the different ways to prepare and store caught fish.

Shaded from the sun under tents were a couple more professionals. Mark Breederland, extension educator associated with Michigan Sea Grant, was prepared with pamphlets, swag and information about fishing, commercial nets and Michigan Sea Grant in general.

John and Georgia DeKeyser were in attendance as well with a booth to promote the West Shore Fishing Museum, a seasonal attraction in Menominee that displays exhibits that relay the history and artifacts related to Lake Michigan fisheries.