NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: biology, fish, traditional food, fisheries assessment, habitat, spawning areas, dolly varden char, arctic char, fish migration

Objective(s): To re-assess the anadromous component of the known Vittrekwa River Dolly Varden char population; to investigate & assess other potential suitable Dolly Varden habitat; and to confirm the presence of Dolly Varden char in the Stony Creek watershed.

Project Description: The objectives of this research project are: 1) to re-assess the anadromous component of the known Vittrekwa River Dolly Varden char population; 2) to investigate & assess other potential suitable Dolly Varden habitat; and 3) to confirm the presence of Dolly Varden char in the Stony Creek watershed. For the Vittrekwa River the research team plans to construct a fixed weir which will trap searun char as they migrate upstream to their spawning locations. Fish that are trapped by the weir will be measured, weighed and released. Small fin clips will also be taken for genetic testing from 50 fish. No dead samples will be collected for searun char. Up to 10 small resident Dolly Varden char may be dead sampled for otolith microchemistry analysis for determining which stocks of char are harvested in the mixed stock ocean fishery. Any other species encountered will be weighed measured and released. Some time at the start of the trip may be spent seining or angling for char above the weir site that may have already migrated past the weir site before set up. In Stony Creek, the research team plans to use a seine net to sweep some areas where juvenile (and possibly adult) fish were observed in 2010. Some of the field team may try to angle for Dolly Varden in the upper watershed. If char are captured in Stony Creek, they will be dead sampled to determine: 1) if they are a unique genetic stock of char separate from Rat & Vittrekwa River char; and 2) if they are searun char that contribute to the subsistence fishery. It is unlikely that a high number of char in this system will be captured. This survey will be designed to seek out areas where char are living in the system. The research team does not expect to catch more than 50 char. It is expected that the majority of the char caught will be very small juvenile fish (less than 2 inches in length). Results will be communicated via regularly scheduled Renewable Resource Council (RRC) meetings, the Regional RRC meeting, Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board (GRRB) board meetings, Rat River Char Working Group Meetings and possibly research symposiums. A final report will be prepared and presented in 2012. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 16, 2011 to September 10, 2011.