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Assessment of Arctic Char in the Ulukhaktok area of the Northwest Territories

Regional Peer Review – Central and Arctic Region

February 15-17, 2016
Winnipeg, MB

Chairperson: Margaret Treble

Context

Anadromous Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) are an important subsistence resource for the residents of Ulukhaktok, NT, with the majority of the harvest occurring in the marine waters in proximity to the community during the summer. Arctic Char from Tatik Lake (Kuujjua River) are the most important stock for harvesters. The stock is harvested during the summer when feeding/ migrating along the coast in a mixed-stock fishery and during the winter (under-ice) while overwintering in Tatik Lake. A decline in the char harvests and size in Tatik Lake prompted the establishment of a harvest-based monitoring program in 1991. Two harvesters from Ulukhaktok collect harvest, catch-effort and biological data from the winter fishery (October-November). The program has occurred annually since its inception (except 1993) and the data are used to evaluate stock status and trends, including relative abundance and population demographics.

An annual summer monitoring program for char harvested on the coast near Ulukhaktok was initiated in 2011. Given the data are collected from a mixed-stock fishery, the information is used to monitor the status of the summer fishery by examining trends in annual relative abundance and biological information. In addition to subsistence harvest, a Stage I exploratory licence for char has been issued to the community for the summer coastal fishery (2006-present). This exploratory fishery is relatively small with a quota of 500 char which are all locally sold within the community or territory. Under the exploratory licence, harvesters are responsible for collecting annual harvest, catch-effort, and biological data from their catches.

The Olokhaktokmiut Hunters and Trappers Committee and Ulukhaktok Char Working Group have requested an increase in their subsistence harvest at Tatik Lake, which has a locally-set harvest guideline of 1,000 fish annually. Furthermore, the Ulukhaktok Char Working Group is currently updating their community fishing plan and have requested an updated assessment and summary of information available on char stocks in the Ulukhaktok area.  As a result, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Resource Management has requested Science advice on the current stock status and sustainable harvest level of Arctic Char from Tatik Lake and an evaluation of the data collected from the summer coastal fishery.

Objective

The objectives of this meeting are to undertake a science-based peer review of all available information relevant to providing advice on the sustainable harvest level for Arctic Char from Tatik Lake and to evaluate all available information relevant to the coastal mixed-stock fishery (including the Stage I exploratory licence). Specifically, the meeting will address the following objectives:

  1. examine trends in the catch-effort and biological data collected at Tatik Lake through the harvest monitoring program, including biological information periodically collected from the subsistence fishery prior to the program;
  2. examine trends in the catch-effort and biological data collected in proximity to Ulukhaktok during the summer through the coastal harvest monitoring program and Stage I exploratory licences, including biological information periodically collected from the subsistence fishery prior to the program;
  3. incorporate total harvest, catch-effort and biological time-series data from Tatik Lake into multiple population models to estimate the population abundance and sustainable harvest level, and associated risk levels, for Arctic Char from Tatik Lake;
  4. determine population indicators/ reference points that can be used by co-management partners for decisions pertaining to harvest levels based on results from the modelling exercise;
  5. discuss future research needs and current monitoring plans for Arctic Char in the Ulukhaktok area.

Expected Publications

Participation

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