Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area
Tags: petroleum industry, spawning areas, whitefish, Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, fish migration, over-wintering areas
| Principal Investigator: | Harris, Les (3) |
| Licence Number: | 13602 |
| Organization: | Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2005
2004
|
| Issued: | May 04, 2004 |
| Project Team: | One to two |
Objective(s): Historically, the Travaillant Lake system has been of great importance to subsistence harvesters, supporting domestic fisheries primarily for broad whitefish. With increased exploration and development in the Western Arctic, and with the Mackenzie Valley pipeline proposed to pass within 10 km of Travaillant Lake, information on the migrations or movement patterns of broad whitefish is essential for the management of this species. Even though Travaillant Lake broad whitefish are proven to be different genetically and morphologically from their Mackenzie River counterparts, it is unknown whether broad whitefish from the lake are able to travel to, or spawn, in areas of the Mackenzie River. In addition, there is a lack of information on critically important areas, such as those used for spawning, rearing, and over wintering. The objective of the study is to track and document the movements of broad whitefish using radio telemetry, and to identify critically important areas over the next two years. This study will be the first of its kind to track and document the movements of what is thought to be a strictly lake-locked population of broad whitefish.
