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Development of an assessment approach for remnant lake salmonin populations: The Crean Lake example

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2005

Guy E. Melville
Guy E. Melville*
Affiliation:
Aquatic Ecosystems, Saskatchewan Research Council, Division and Environmental Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 125 – 15 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 2X8
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

This research investigates a status assessment approach for remnant lake salmonin populations, using the lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush Walbaum) of Crean Lake (105 km2) as an example. A mark-recapture program was implemented employing small-mesh gill nets to ensnare charr by the teeth at spawning. Prior to sampling, potential spawning sites were designated primary or secondary based on habitat. Most charr were caught on three primary reefs, with some spawners moving between reefs. The spawning period peaked at day 2, enhancing spawning synchrony, and lasted up to 10 days. Results produced very low sampling mortality (5.7%), consistent estimates of the number of spawning charr ( $\sim $ 60 y−1) and a very low (<2000) estimate of the total number of mature charr in Crean Lake. The approach offers an effective means of assessing remnant salmonins with minimal impact on their populations.

Keywords

Status assessmentsLake charrSalvelinus namaycushSpawning aggregationsLive-captureTagging
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , July 2005 , pp. 313 - 317
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD, 2005

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