NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region

Tags: biology, fish habitat, fish, habitat assessment, wildlife, spawning areas, conservation plan

Objective(s): The proposed research intends to address bull trout management concerns in the Northwest Territories (NWT) from a habitat perspective. The project will study habitat requirements and availability for bull trout in the NWT focusing on appropriate habitat protection for oil and gas development in the region. Potential and existing environmental impacts on critical bull trout habitat (i.e., spawning, rearing, and feeding sites) will be assessed and compared. The information obtained will give habitat biologists the ability to identify and protect bull trout habitat effectively during oil and gas development. Habitat in the north will be compared to habitat in the south (Alberta) to provide insight into future management strategies for both areas. The information obtained will give fisheries managers in the NWT and Alberta a unique opportunity to compare undisturbed populations and their habitat in the north to disturbed populations and habitat in the south. The information will also allow fisheries managers in both regions to formulate effective management strategies to conserve and protect bull trout in the future.

Project Description: The proposed research intends to address bull trout management concerns in the Northwest Territories (NWT) from a habitat perspective. The project will study habitat requirements and availability for bull trout in the NWT focusing on appropriate habitat protection for oil and gas development in the region. Transportation to and from sampling sites will be provided by helicopter. Basic camping equipment will be set up for a few days in each sampling location for sleeping and eating during sampling. All fish captured will be tagged with colored tags (floy tags) and some (2-5) with radio-tags to identify fish movement and locate spawning sites. Fish will only be sampled to collect information on distribution throughout the region and basic biological data. All efforts will be made to ensure that fish are not harmed and that unnecessary mortality is avoided. A small sample of fish (5-10) will be sacrificed to confirm appropriate aging techniques and obtain biological data. Most sampling will include measuring habitat parameters such as water velocity, substrate size, available cover, water temperature, groundwater flow, and gradient. The public living throughout the potential bull trout range will be asked to report all species caught to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, conservation officers in the NWT. The information obtained will give fisheries managers in the NWT and Alberta a unique opportunity to compare undisturbed populations and their habitat in the north to disturbed populations and habitat in the south. The information will also allow fisheries managers in both regions to formulate effective management strategies to conserve and protect bull trout in the future.