NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region

Tags: biology, fish sampling, climate change, fish health

Objective(s): To determine if the fish in the Hay River are healthy and safe to eat.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4830. Residents of Alberta and NWT communities along Transboundary rivers have voiced concerns such as “are the fish safe to eat?” and “are the fish healthy?” due to the potential cumulative effects of multiple substances, habitat alteration and climate change. There is not any significant historical fish sampling relating to transboundary concerns on the Hay River and information on fish community near the Alberta-NWT border is lacking. The fish sampling to be undertaken as part of this project is to obtain information on fish communities. This information will be valuable for upcoming engagement meetings with community members. The purpose of the engagement meetings will be to jointly develop and initiate a transboundary fish monitoring program on the Hay River in 2021. Engagement will take place when COVID-19 travel restrictions are reduced. It would be ideal to align the Hay River sampling program with the Slave River program, which was initiated in 2019, as well as with community concerns that will be identified in meetings prior to 2021 field sampling. In September 2020, subsistence fishermen, assisted by Government of the Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources staff, will set multi-mesh gillnets with soak times of approximately 2- 24 hours. Target species (i.e., lake whitefish, walleye, northern pike, and white sucker) will be sacrificed by a stunning blow to the head followed by a severing of the spinal column. Attribute data (length, weight, and sex) will be collected and fish will be frozen for future dissections (collection of organs, contaminants in muscle and bile, and aging structures). All non-target fish will be released immediately unharmed. A University of Alberta team led by Kelly Munkittrick will also be collecting trout- perch (or slimy sculpin) by electrofishing and/or seining in Alberta near Indian Cabins. Following the fall 2020 preliminary sampling, meetings will be organized with communities to report on sampling and discuss the initiation of a fish monitoring plan for the Hay River in 2021. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 16, 2020 to December 31, 2020.