Experts: Climate Change Threatens Minnesota Fisheries

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Experts say climate change threatens Minnesota's fisheries, including North Shore trout streams and walleye lakes such as Mille Lacs.

They spoke as the National Wildlife Federation released a national study on freshwater fish in a warming world. Co-author Doug Inkley says the U.S. needs to address the root cause by cutting carbon pollution, safeguarding fish habitats from climate change, and using water more wisely.

Don Pereira of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says warmer water is contributing to the decline of ciscoes, an important forage fish for walleyes and northern pike that could disappear from Mille Lacs Lake.

John Lenczewski of Trout Unlimited calls for forestry practices that slow the melting of snow to maintain stream levels, and better groundwater management to keep streams on the surface cold.