Arctic Red River Fish Study
Principal Investigator: Millar, Nathan P (7)
Licence Number: 13983
Organization: Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board
Licensed Year(s): 2006
Issued: May 30, 2006
Project Team: Amy Thompson (Project design and management, Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board), Tsiigehtchic resident (Netting monitor, n/a)

Project Description: Currently, little information exists on the fisheries resources of the Arctic Red River. Baseline information on fisheries resources is required to make sound management decisions. This information (e.g., biological characteristics of fish: length, weight, age at maturity, migration patterns, date of spawning; presence/absence of species) is collected through long-term studies, traditional knowledge interviews, and literature searches. Baseline data is necessary to monitor changes in fisheries over time. The field camp will be reached by boat. A small gas powered generator will be used to power a freezer to store samples. An experimental gill net will be used for netting, done 3 days a week. Approximately 150 broad whitefish, 75 lake whitefish, 75 inconnu, and 100 cisco will be collected. The occasional fish of other species may also be caught. Fish will be sampled at the monitor's camp and gonads frozen to be brought back for fecundity analysis. The netting will take place at least 50 km upstream of Tsiigehtchic. Reports will be sent to the Gwichya Gwich'in Renewable Resource Council and will be available for download through the GRRB website (www.grrb.nt.ca). A fish monitor from Tsiigehtchic will be hired to conduct the netting. The fish will be used by the monitor or distributed in Tsiigehtchic after sampling. The monitor will ensure that the camp is cleaned up at the end of the season. The study will be conducted from 15 June to 15 November, 2006. Netting locations will be determined in consultation with the Gwichya Gwich'in Renewable Resource Council and the fish monitor, and will be at least 50 km upstream of Tsiigehtchic.