Transcript Where to From Here Mark P. Ebener Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority

Where to From Here
Mark P. Ebener
Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority
Take Home Message
The System is in Good Shape!!
In-lake Habitat in
Good Condition
All forms of lake trout Abundant
Kilograms per Kilometer
350
300
250
200
Siscowet
150
100
50
Lean
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
Lake Herring Partially Recovered
700
CPUE (kg/km)
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1973
1978
1983
1988
1993
1998
Sturgeon, Walleye, & Brook Trout Present
>Increasing in Abundance
>Sturgeon & Walleye
widespread
Invasive Species
>Recent Invaders Benign
>Sufficient Buffering Capacity
Present Fish Community
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
1. Balance Sea Lamprey Control &
Rehabilitation Native Fishes
•Passage for Sturgeon & Walleye
•Native Lampreys in Canada
•Sturgeon Treatment Protocol
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
2. Tributary Restoration & Protection
•Rehabilitation Sturgeon, Brook Trout, Walleye
•Require Watershed Mgt Plan
•Coalition Building
•governments, interested citizens, agencies
•Long-term prospect of 50+ years
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
3. Fish Consumption Advisories Inevitable
•LaMP Load Reductions not sufficient
Mercury
PCBs
Dioxin
60% by 2000
33% by 2000
80% by 2005
100% by 2020
100% by 2020
100% by 2020
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
4. Effective Ballast Water Management
•Non-indigenous species will continue to arrive
•Address vectors for future invasions
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
5. Lack of Information
•Lack abundance & biomass estimates
•Lake trout
•Lake Whitefish
•Siscowet
•Pacific salmon
•Walleye
•Lake herring & chubs
•Burbot
•Sucker
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
6. Define appropriate harvest levels
•Is 40% mortality correct for lake trout
•Is 65% mortality correct for whitefish
•Target fishing mortality for herring
•most at risk species
Achievement of
Fish Community Objectives
7. Agency Commitment
•Hinder information gathering & evaluation
•Ontario commitment lacking many years
•State Governments downsizing
Future Research Needs
>14 Different Recommendations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Assessment
Habitat Restoration & Evaluation
Species Interactions
Genetics and Stock Structure
Fish Community Structure
Lake-wide Lake Trout Model
Sea Lamprey Control
Research Needs
1. Research & Assessment
Offshore waters
•Acoustic, trawling, gill nets, hooks
•Estimate abundance pelagic & benthic species
•Understand habitat use
•Role in supporting sea lamprey production
•Understand trophic interactions
Research Needs
2. Map in-lake &
tributary habitat
•Link habitat & fish
•Evaluate carrying capacity
•Ability to achieve FCO’s
Research Needs
3. Understand Species Interactions
•Pacific salmon & brook trout
•Sea lamprey host selection
•Siscowet & lean lake trout
Research Needs
4. Understand genetic & stock structure
10
7
1
2 3
6
4
11
12
13
9
14
18
19
20
17
15
21
16
5
24
22
MI1
MN3
WI2
25
MI3
MN2
MI2
28
26
29
27
MI4
30
31
32
33
MI6
MN1
WI1
23
•Lake trout form differentiation
•Stock boundaries
•Number Lake herring stocks
•Brook trout population genetics
•Lake sturgeon genetics
•Deepwater ciscoes differentiation
MI5
MI7
MI8
34
Research Needs
5. Understand Fish Community Structure
•How physical & chemical parameters shape it
•Connection of prey to lower trophic levels
•Relate community to habitat in FCOs
Research Needs
6. Develop Lake-wide Lake Trout Model
•Determine rehabilitation limits
•Estimate Harvest Limits
•Evaluate Sea Lamprey Control
•Evaluate Mortality Targets
•Evaluate Management Strategies
Research Needs
7. New Sea Lamprey Control Techniques
•Pheromones
•Native Lampreys
•Innovative Barriers
•Selection of Streams for Treatment
•Control Lentic Populations
•Increase Frequency of Treatments
Future Fish Community
1.
2.
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6.
7.
Brook trout populations resurge
No need to stock hatchery-reared fish
Lake sturgeon populations will increase
Illegal harvest of sturgeon will increase
Demand for herring roe will increase
Habitat degradation will continue
Several new non-indigenous species