Research Document 2016/108

Harvest, catch-effort, and biological information of Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) collected from subsistence harvest monitoring programs at Hornaday River, Lasard Creek, and Tippitiuyak, Darnley Bay, Northwest Territories

By Gallagher, C.P., Howland, K.L., and Harwood, L.

Abstract

Harvest, catch-effort, and biological information of Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) collected from a standardized subsistence harvest monitoring program at the mouth of the Hornaday River (1990–2013), Lasard Creek (2011–2013), and at Tippitiuyak (Tippi) (2012–2013), Darnley Bay, Northwest Territories were analyzed to inform the population assessment of char from the Hornaday River. Additionally, biological data periodically collected mainly from the commercial fishery between 1973 and 1989 were compared to more recent data. The annual patterns in catch-effort and length, weight, and age-related metrics do not indicate current signs of overharvest or deteriorating stock status and suggest the level of harvest is sustainable. Median annual catch-per-unit-effort demonstrated a sinusoidal pattern over time with an increasing trend between 2011 and 2013. Length and weight data both appeared temporally stable with increasing proportions of larger sizes in recent years. Length and weight were not considerably different between sexes, although males attained larger sizes and greater mass, and had a higher growth rate. Median age was relatively stable over time with the proportion of older aged individuals increasing in recent years. A likely non-representative age sample of the population combined with the relatively short life-span of char in this stock produced high estimates of annual mortality. In some years, more char were harvested at Lasard Creek than Hornaday River with peaks in catch-effort that were sometimes higher at Lasard suggesting this area can be a more productive fishing location than Hornaday during the summer. Furthermore, population demographics were similar between both locations. Preliminary information showed that ‘blue char’, a type of char reportedly different from those associated with the Hornaday River and of unknown origin, captured at Tippi had similar length, weight, and age characteristics to char from the Hornaday River.

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