NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: physical sciences, aquatic ecosystems, traditional food, fisheries assessment, industrial development, environmental sensitivity index, harvest sustainability

Project Description: The Travaillant Lake system is one of the most culturally and traditionally important areas within the Gwich'in Settlement Area (GSA). In recent years, in light of proposed industrial development and exploration that may threaten the aquatic environment within this system, Travaillant Lake has become a focus of fisheries-related studies that have attempted to collect information on biological characteristics, vital rates and document life history traits of important subsistence fish species within this system. The objectives of this study are to determine baseline population status and develop reliable indicators of population abundance and mortality rates of key harvested fish species (lake whitefish and broad whitefish) in the Travaillant Lake system and to identify and determine the relative abundance and species composition of other species within the lake system. With future monitoring, such information will allow the detection of subsequent changes that may occur from changes in harvest levels and environmental disturbance in relation to proposed pipeline development in this region of the North. Year 3 of this five-year project will consist of capturing a representative sample of species and sizes of species within Travaillant Lake and at two locations in Travaillant River. For this purpose, the field team will use experimental gill nets with varying mesh sizes (1-inch to 5.5-inches). Captured fish will be sampled and the following biological characteristics will be recorded: fork length (±1 mm), round weight (± 50 g), gonad weight (± 0.1 g), sex and maturity. In addition, tissue samples will be taken and archived for contaminant and or genetic analysis. Data will be analyzed to determine age and length frequencies, age at maturity, size at maturity, growth, mortality and fecundity. When fishing, sampling effort (soak time of experimental gill nets) will be recorded in order to estimate relative abundance through the calculation of catch per unit effort (CPUE). In total, the following sample sizes can be expected: broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) – 750 specimens; lake whitefish (Coregonus nasus) - 750 specimens; cisco species (Coregonus spp.) – 200 specimens; northern pike (Esox lucius) – 45 specimens; lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) – 50 specimens; and inconnu (Stenodus leucichthys) – 5 specimens. Reports will be prepared and distributed to the Gwich’in Renewable Resource Committees (RRCs). Results will also be communicated at RRC meetings and Gwich’in Renewable Resource Board meetings. Fieldwork will be conducted from October 6-31, 2006 at the following locations: Lake sampling will occur at a site on the southwest shore of Travaillant Lake (67.66235ºN 131.91452ºW); river sampling will occur at sites located north of Travaillant Lake in the Travaillant River (67.75547 ºN 131.85927 ºW), and in the Travaillant River south of the lake between Travaillant Lake and Andrew Lake (67.60982 ºN 131.86702 ºW).