Multi-species sustainable fisheries management using scientific and traditional ecological methods

I propose a multi-species fish population monitoring project in Quebecâs largest lake (Mistassini), to facilitate community-based fisheries management. Mistassini is home to recreational fisheries for walleye, lake trout, brook trout and pike. With a 31% increase in the regional human population since 2001 and increasing fishing pressure, effective monitoring of Mistassiniâs harvested fish populations is essential. Life history and genomics attributes will be compared to assess changes in length and weight, population structure, effective population size and outlier loci, for all four species. Historical life history information and tissue samples for DNA surveys are available for three of four species. Contemporary samples are already available for brook trout, and will be collected for lake trout and pike. Analysis is already in progress for walleye, and thus contemporary walleye sampling is solely for phenotypic measurements (length and weight) for population monitoring. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Dylan Fraser

Student:

Ella Bowles

Partner:

Niskamoon Corporation

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Fisheries and wildlife

University:

Program: