Proceedings 2012/046
Proceedings of the regional science advisory process for the assessment of and recommended sustainable harvest level for Dolly Varden from the Big Fish River, Northwest Territories; February 29, 2012
Chairperson: M. Treble
Editor: K. Adair
Summary
A Regional Advisory Process was held at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg to assess Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) from the Big Fish River, Northwest Territories. The meeting was held on February 29, 2012 and included participants from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fisheries Joint Management Committee, the West Side Working Group, Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board, University of Manitoba, University of Alberta, and an independent expert. During the meeting, presentations were made on the following items: data collected between 2009 and 2011 used to estimate abundance based on mark-recapture studies; estimates of the number of migrating Dolly Varden enumerated using a DIDSON camera, determination of the effective population size and an estimate of population abundance based on these results; description of the current biological characteristics of the population; determination of the contribution of the Big Fish River stock to the coastal mixed-stock fishery; and estimation of the current harvest level for the stock. Discussion during the meeting included the applicability of using the DIDSON results to determine population abundance estimates, relevance of relying on one year of sampling to characterise the coastal mixed-stock fishery, and information to consider when making decisions about a possible fishery at the mouth of the Big Fish River. This Proceedings report summarizes the relevant discussions.
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