NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: contaminants, fish health

Objective(s): To conduct burbot monitoring work including contaminants testing.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5750. The Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee (AHTC) and Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) are working together to conduct burbot monitoring work including contaminants testing. The project aims to answer four main questions: • Has loche health and liver condition changed since the 2007 GRRB loche monitoring study? • Are the observed abnormalities in liver and eggs a concern for consumption or the health of the population? • Does loche health and liver condition vary by location? • Can harvester rating of fish and organ health be used consistently to assess loche health, without the need for ongoing laboratory work, which is expensive and provides delayed results? Adult loche harvested by Inuvialuit fishers will be sampled from 4 fishing areas near Aklavik, NT, in the Mackenzie River Delta. The sites were selected by the Aklavi... Show morek HTC and included: 6 Miles, Jackfish, Jim Firth’s, and Martin’s. Sampling will be conducted during November and December 2023, by 2 community harvest monitors. Measurements will be taken from harvested loche, including: total length, total mass, liver mass, gonad mass, and sex and maturity. The harvesters will also be asked to rate the overall health of the fish and the condition of the liver (1 = large and healthy; 2 = less healthy, slight discolouration; 3 = small, deformed, and discoloured). If harvesters consent, samples will be taken of: liver, gonads, otoliths, muscle, and stomach contents. Monitors will also collect information on Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) and ice and weather conditions. In 2024, samples will be sent to a commercial laboratory in Winnipeg, MB, for further processing. This project is led by the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee (AHTC), with support from the Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC; the fisheries co-management board for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region). Results will be communicated to the AHTC and FJMC, as well as the community. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: December 15 - December 31, 2023 Show less