Highlights of Native Fish Highlights of Native Fish Rehabilitation Activities in the Rehabilitation Activities in the

Great LakesGreat Lakes

Presented By: Arunas Liskauskas, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

In this presentationIn this presentation

•• Focus on activities from 2002 to 2007Focus on activities from 2002 to 2007

•• Highlight activities in each of the Great Highlight activities in each of the Great LakesLakes

•• Suggest future prioritiesSuggest future priorities

Activities in Activities in Lake SuperiorLake Superior

Activities in Activities in Lake SuperiorLake Superior

Coaster Brook Trout Rehabilitation:

• life history, growth, productivity, genetics, and habitat preference

• critical habitats and population

• Clearwater Creek rehabilitation

• Multi-stakeholder partnership

Activities in Activities in Lake SuperiorLake Superior

Activities in Activities in Lake SuperiorLake Superior

Lake sturgeon Rehabilitation::

• critical habitats and impediments

• mitigating impacts

• GLFC Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation Plan for Lake Superior

Activities in Activities in Lake SuperiorLake Superior

Activities in Activities in Lake SuperiorLake SuperiorBlack Bay Walleye Rehabilitation:

• focused workshop

• Black Sturgeon River Dam as a major impediment

• Stocked ~300,000 fingerling walleye

• GLFC Walleye Rehabilitation Plan for Lake Superior

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Muskellunge Rehabilitation::

• Muskellunge reintroduction

• stocking ~16,000 fingerlings

• Modified sport harvest regulations

• recruitment of wild fish

• Partnership with ‘The Friends of the Spanish River’

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Lake Trout Rehabilitation::

• Surveyed ~200 km shoreline

• Partnership with University of Toronto

• Initiated ground-truthing studies

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Walleye Rehabilitation:Walleye Rehabilitation:

• water flow management a priority

• spawning habitat and channel morphology

• flow model and habitat remediation options

• Muskoka River Watershed Management Plan

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Activities in LakActivities in Lake Hurone Huron

Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation:Lake Sturgeon Rehabilitation:

•• 5 major river systems surveyed5 major river systems surveyed

•• Partnership with AOFRCPartnership with AOFRC

•• habitat protection/rehabilitation habitat protection/rehabilitation needsneeds

Activities in Activities in Lake ErieLake Erie

Restoring Walleye in the Lower Grand River:Restoring Walleye in the Lower Grand River:

• Rehabilitation Plans

• population size, genetics, stocking, fishway, migrations/habitat, habitat quality

• Dunnville dam, poor water quality, lower trophic level problems

• State of the Grand River report

Activities in Activities in Lake ErieLake Erie

Activities in Activities in Lake ErieLake Erie

Activities in Activities in Lake ErieLake Erie

Thames River Walleye Rehabilitation:

• multi-agency working group

• Implementation partnership with AOFRC, Chippewa of the Thames River and DFO

• walleye population status

• contaminants and survival of larval/juvenile walleye

• Habitat research

• management plan

Activities in Lake Ontario:Activities in Lake Ontario:

Atlantic Salmon Restoration::

•• Restoration planRestoration plan

•• GLFC GLFC FishFish--Community Objectives for Lake OntarioCommunity Objectives for Lake Ontario

•• MultiMulti--stakeholder partnershipstakeholder partnership

• Stocking of fry and fingerlings

• stream habitats rehabilitation

•• Monitoring stocking successMonitoring stocking success

Activities in Lake Ontario:Activities in Lake Ontario:

Activities in Lake Ontario:Activities in Lake Ontario:

Lake Trout Rehabilitation::

• Isotope analysis

• foodweb, Thiamine Deficiency Complex research

• Multi-agency partnership

• lake trout management plan updated

Activities in Lake Ontario:Activities in Lake Ontario:

Activities in Lake Ontario:Activities in Lake Ontario:

American Eel Rehabilitation:

• Mulit-agency partnership

• Recovery Action Plan

• Stocked over 500,000 young eel

• Monitored stocking success

• status of eel populations

Looking to the FutureLooking to the Future• Native species declines will likely

continue

• Basin-wide delisting targets for native fish populations

• Actions guided by strategic initiatives

–– LaMPLaMP and RAP goalsand RAP goals

–– Ontario's Biodiversity StrategyOntario's Biodiversity Strategy

– Strategic Great Lakes Fisheries Management Plans

– Fish Community/Environmental Objectives for the Great Lakes