Support Lake Erie with your trip to the Cleveland Mid-America Boat & Fishing Show on Lake Erie Day, Monday, Jan. 17, when one dollar from each ticket purchased will benefit the research, education, and outreach efforts of The Ohio State University’s Ohio Sea Grant College Program and Stone Laboratory. The Mid-America Boat & Fishing Show runs Jan. 14-23 at the I-X Center, 6200 Riverside Dr. in Cleveland.
This one-day event will feature a visit from Kristin Stanford, the Island Snake Lady from "Dirty Jobs" with one or two of her squirmy friends; information about unwanted meds and Asian carp, and instruction on fly tying. Talks are scheduled with Sea Grant speakers, including Stanford.
As the warmest, shallowest, and biologically most productive of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is Ohio’s most valuable natural resource. More than 50% of all fish caught in the Great Lakes come from Lake Erie. The Ohio Sea Grant College Program, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, led the effort to create 10 artificial reefs to provide additional habitat for sport fish. These reefs, which dot the lake floor north of Lorain and Cleveland, attract more than 60 times as many fish as the surrounding non-reef areas and pay for themselves 2.75 times each year.
"Many people don’t realize what an important role Lake Erie plays in our regional ecosystem," said Show Manager Ken Alvey. "We want to spread the word about all the great things going on at Sea Grant and are happy to donate part of our admission price to the program