GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Caught and thrown among the rocks at Sixth Street Park, dead sucker fish dry in the sun.
"They're not problematic. They're not a nuisance species,” said Joel Betts, an angler and aquatic scientist who saw the "disheartening" scene last week. "That wanton waste is just unfortunate."
While on Friday, Betts spotted around 20 discarded suckers, another angler told FOX 17 that he counted 118 fish from 8 different species the day before, including the threatened River Redhorse. The boneyard is built upon misconceptions about the bottom-feeder, they say.
In a Tuesday phone call with the Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division, the department said it sent officers down to the park over the weekend to follow up on reports of the littering, also educating anglers on sucker fish.
"I really think it comes down to the fact that people really aren't aware of the different kinds of sucker species," Betts said. "I'm not going to blame anyone for harvesting those fish, but we really need to raise awareness."
The Lower Grand River Watershed supports 13 species of sucker fish, including the longnose sucker, white sucker and six types of redhorse, which yearly migrate into the Grand River and its tributaries to spawn.
"They're bringing lots of nutrients, lots of eggs, up into the ecosystem," Betts said. "They're bringing more into the ecosystem than they're taking away, that's for sure."
This spring, suckers have caught blame for lower steelhead numbers across the state, though John Ball Zoo says there's a “misconception" that steelhead eggs are a primary component of a sucker's insect-based diet.
Rather, the drop can be attributed to the Michigan DNR not stocking steelhead in 2021, due to COVID-19-related restrictions preventing them from conducting an egg take in 2020.
"Suckers are very important for the strength and stability of the Grand River ecosystem," said Travis Kurtz, community science coordinator for the John Ball Zoo. "Every species has an important role to play."
In its first year, the zoo and trained volunteers are working on a sucker-monitoring program in Plaster Creek — a Grand River tributary — daily documenting how stream temperature and flow affect spawning behavior. Partnering with the Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Valley State University, and the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds, they'll send the data to Shedd Aquarium at the end of the season.
"We're really focused on saving wildlife in wild places," Kurtz said. "The more we learn about them and are aware of them, the easier it's going to be to conserve them."
The more that suckers are seen as beneficial to their ever-flowing freshwater habitat, the healthier the Grand River and its banks will be, Betts says.
"Debunking that 'trash fish, rough fish' idea," Betts said. "It's a tough nut to crack from a management perspective, but I think it's something we need to invest in."
