A new research boat is being built to help collect data on fish in the Great Lakes

CHARLEVOICE COUNTY, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU) — The Department of Natural Resources is collecting data on fish populations in the Great Lakes.

The research center in Charlevoix will soon have a new, improved boat to help obtain this information.

For more than 55 years, “DPR” has used S/V Steelhead to send researchers, technicians and biologists where they need to go to collect data about the Great Lakes.

“Our data is used to make stocking decisions for walleye, coho, sometimes lake trout, walleye, steelhead, possibly regulations like size limits or possession limits, and they’ve changed over the years for certain species like- lake trout to try to stay within the catch,” said Patrick Hanchin of the Charlevoix Fisheries Research Station.

To obtain this information, the ship is equipped with electronics and other resources.

After more than five decades of service, the boat has become obsolete, and spare parts are often hard to come by.

“The hull itself is now slowly collapsing due to aging,” said Patrick O’Neill, boat captain of the S/V Steelhead. “We have problems finding spare parts for them. Not only are the engine types never made, but the parts to service them are no longer available.’

By means of Moran metallurgical plant and Boksa Marine Designa new vessel will be built with standardized equipment and several notable upgrades.

“We are planning to install a sea guard, which is a tool used to counteract the effects of wave energy so that the boat is not tilted as much. So hopefully it will be a safer and more sustainable platform,” O’Neill said.

The new vessel will also include solar panels.