Improving knowledge of Lake Melville Atlantic salmon: Subsistence fisheries and population assessment

Salmon migrating into Lake Melville pass the NG community of Rigolet. The NG proposes to hire two technicians in Rigolet to conduct a mark-recapture project, collect biological samples (length, weight, otoliths, scales and tissue) from the FSC fishery and collect harvest logs. Previous studies conducted by the NG have shown that many tagged salmon are recaptured near Kenamu. Conducting floy tagging in conjunction with the DFO/NG 2017 telemetry project will increase the amount of data on the distribution and timing of salmon movement through Lake Melville. Tags may also be recaptured at the new monitoring facility on Kenamu River. Increased salmon samples and FSC log returns will improve our knowledge of the various populations harvested in this fishery and improve estimates of total harvest. Oral interviews with fishers will also be conducted to collect TEK information on the status of the salmon harvest in 2017.

Contact: Todd Broomfield, Todd.Broomfield@nunatsiavut.com