LAKE  SUPERIOR  FISHERIES   ASSESSMENT   Thunder  Bay  AOC   Sept  21st,  2016   OUTLINE   •  Beneficial  Use  Impairments   •  Delis2ng  Criteria   •  What  is  a  healthy  fish  community?   •  Assessment  &  Monitoring     •  Status  and  Trends   ulomrd Luke Thunder Bay Welcome Islands Chi pewa . Loch mom] Lake Superior Disclaimer: This map is intended for Illustrative purposes only. Digital Mapping Sources: Base mapping features - Ministry of Natural Resources and NPCA. North American Datum 1983. Universal Transverse Mercator. Friar?mid Zone 16 North. Central Meridian -87t0 5 am Pic Island Legend Great Lakes ?WaterTreatment Plant 2 Major Highways Airport Hydrology .1 ?j Areas of Concern Wastewater Treatment Plant Roads AOC Nations Reserve 1 Railways Wetlands II Pul /Pa er . Breakwaus Forest Cover . le Canada Thunder Bay Area of Concern IMPAIRMENT   •  Organic  Enrichment   •  Decreased  dissolved  oxygen  levels   •  Increased  water  temperature   •  Changes  in  fish  community  structure   Defining  &  Monitoring  a  Healthy   Fish  Community   •  •  •  •  •  •    Trends  in  abundance   Na2ve  Species   Species  Diversity   Natural  Reproduc2on   Popula2on  Structure   Popula2on  Dynamics   DelisKng  Criteria  for  Thunder  Bay  AOC   •  Rela2ve  Abundance   •  Species  Composi2on     Lake  Trout   •  Mean  age  >  8yrs   •  Index  of  Growth:  Length  @  Age  7  =  430mm   •  Mature  fish  /  Many  age  classes.           Lake  Whitefish   •  Commercial  fishery  sustainable  yield  =<  0.51   kg/ha/yr     •  Total  annual  mortality  <  60-­‐65%.   •  Mean  age  of  catch  exceeds  age  @  50%   maturity  by  two  years   Lake Sturgeon, Walleye Brook Survey  ObjecKves   1)   RelaKve  abundance   2)  PopulaKon  Dynamics   •  •  •  •  •  Juvenile  abundance   Recruitment   Growth   Mortality   ExploitaKon   3)  PopulaKon  Structure   •  Length   •  Age   •  Sex  raKo   METHODS   •   Stra2fied  random  sampling   •   1000’  x  6’  gillnets   •   1.5’’-­‐  6’’    mesh.   •   24  hour  set     Photo: Laura Darby Photo: Laura Darby DATA COLLECTION Ur Value  Added  Data   CollecKon   •  Water  parameters   •  MOE  Contaminant  Monitoring   •  Ecosystem  Modelling   •  Cisco  Morphometrics   •  Lakewide  collabora2on   IN Sites f. 1" 2.0.15. 1- . .- I a all; - . Ple Island 1.31 an . . minnow Duos: Jan 1. 1970 - May 22. 2015 In! 48.356897' Ion ?83499?? plovf??om cl! 56.84 km 0 Percent Contribution Catch Composition Thunder Bay FCIN Catch Compositon 2009-2016 llIL Cbco Longnose sucker Lake Whitefish Laketrout Round vvhhe?sh Spedes Burbot VVh?e sucker lln?de I Outside Rainbow Bloater snweH Relative Abundance Thunder Bay FCIN 2009-2016 Catch Per Unit Effort (kg/km) A u: n. I Inside AOC Outside AOC Thunder Bay FCIN Lake Trout CPUE 2009-2016 U1 0 Inside ADC 53? A Outside AOC 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year Thunder Bay FCIN Lake Whitefish CPUE 09-2016 A .2 a. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year Thunder Bay FCIN Cisco CPUE 2009-2016 515 Llul a. L) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year Thunder Bay FCIN Round Whitefish CPU 2009-2016 A 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year 120 Thunder Bay FCIN Longnose Sucker 10? CPU 009-2016 80 60 A 40. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year Number/ha v/ $079 changing world USGS 2015 Thunder Bay Hydroacoustic Survey Net Caught Cisco 3 I- IL 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Year Lake Trout Mean Age of Lake Trout 2009-2015 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year Thunder Bay Lake Trout Size Age 7 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year Thunder Bay Lake Trout Age Distribution 2009-2016 10? FCI I Inside I I Outside Lill Age(yearsLake White?39. n{t( b. "9953}? 09?99494? Junor01?: vv?v CPUE (kg/km) 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 \Do-o- 3" ya U1 sh Commerci al Lake Whitefish Total Annual Mortality Thunder Bay Commercial Catch Sampling 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year Thunder Bay Lake Whitefish Age Distribution Percent of Catch I lOut . . . . . . . . . Age(years) Lake White?sh Age at 50% Maturi 0Age (years) 0% 090040000000 0090000000000 Lake Whi te? u. ?a a m. al Catch Age QMA so1 0 500.680 0 Brook Trout Walleye . - 3 . - . .3 Image 2014 TerraVieirIcs Image ID 2014 DigitalGlobe rCurrent River u? ~r?d {Cz? -n .7. aLaFarge OPG (4]kmQumte (43km) x} 1 Miss on J-k . 7 Hollm (22km) 4 Bradfords \14km) Principle Spring Movement I'nage NOAA COOSIG earth Principle  Summer  Movement   Occasional  Summer  Movement   Rare  Summer  Movement   0 Qumte (43km) ., .. w? Hollm (22km) Principle Fall Movement Occasional Fall Movement ?0 ol I 16. Bradford: \14km) I'nage NOAA Irrage 1:11 20M TerraVlelncs Image 2014 rCurrent River COOSIQ earth Lake Sturgeon Summary   •  •  •  •  •  •  Fish  Community  Status   Lake  Trout   Lake  Whitefish   Brook  Trout   Walleye   Sturgeon