Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey have completed a study on the world’s fish production and harvest, according to the Charlevoix Courier. The results of the effort point to a likelihood that the harvest of inland fisheries in the Great Lakes region is frequently under-reported.

The investigation mostly focused on inland fisheries in the developing world but also considered other regions with inland waters. It laid out 10 reasons why inland fisheries are so important globally, the top two being food security and economic security.

Study authors say that the importance of inland fisheries in the Great Lakes is often masked by the low-profile nature of some fishing areas where people likely fish for subsistence. These “invisible fisheries” are hidden by more high-profile bodies of water with more prominent recreational and commercial fisheries.

Michigan muskie. (Credit: Michigan Travel Bureau)