Stronger Cutty Protection?

[jpinkster]

I get to do my favorite thing, mix politics with fishing!

Stronger protection for critical habitat needs to be more of a priority. Native fish species provide a snapshot into water quality in our headwaters. The fact that Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish and Bull Trout are all considered threatened species should tell you something about our water quality.

 

Protection for water quality hasn't been taking seriously enough by our Provincial and Federal Governments. 20 years ago the Province made the Bull Trout our Provincial fish and set a keep limit of 0. In 20 years the species hasn't recovered, in fact it has gotten worse in many areas. If that doesn't suggest there are bigger problems at hand, I'm not sure what will.

 

It's time for government to stop paying lip service to providing greater environmental protection. What we really need is action.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/conservationists-call-for-stronger-cutthroat-trout-protection

 

[TheGoldenSpruce]

Not to downplay the importance of protecting critical habitat, but another significant threat to the native cutthroat is the introduction of invasive species; mainly the rainbow trout. I'm unfamiliar with the population dynamics in the Castle wilderness area but I am certain that competition and hybridization between native and invasive species contributes to the west-slopes being listed as threatened.

[jpinkster]

Invasive species are a huge threat to our natural species. With that being said, our natural species are much more adapted to survive (and thrive) in many of the streams we find in the Eastern Slopes. If we protect water quality and preserve critical habitat our native species will be better equipped to out compete invasive species.

[TheGoldenSpruce]

According to the scholarly article linked below, 'the spread of hybridization may be constrained more by demographic than by environmental factors'. So natural species may not be as well adapted to survive in our local stream.

http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/f03-125#.VrJ3B7IrLIU

 

In contrast; according to the following article, climate change is significant factor responsible for the increase in hybridization between the species.

http://www.npr.org/2014/05/27/316316952/hybrid-trout-threaten-montanas-native-cutthroats

 

Protection of our headwaters is important, but that alone will not lead to rebound of these threatened species. Some finer point management may be required.

[albertatrout]

 

I get to do my favorite thing, mix politics with fishing!

Stronger protection for critical habitat needs to be more of a priority. Native fish species provide a snapshot into water quality in our headwaters. The fact that Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish and Bull Trout are all considered threatened species should tell you something about our water quality.

 

Protection for water quality hasn't been taking seriously enough by our Provincial and Federal Governments. 20 years ago the Province made the Bull Trout our Provincial fish and set a keep limit of 0. In 20 years the species hasn't recovered, in fact it has gotten worse in many areas. If that doesn't suggest there are bigger problems at hand, I'm not sure what will.

 

 

It's time for government to stop paying lip service to providing greater environmental protection. What we really need is action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/conservationists-call-for-stronger-cutthroat-trout-protection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where did you see it stated whitefish are threatened?

[BBBrownie]

Mountain Whitefish are currently considered "secure" provincially and are not listed on the federal species at risk act.

[jpinkster]

Thanks for the correction, I had read on another article somewhere that they were also on a threatened list.

[jpinkster]

http://www.producer.com/2016/01/environmentalists-target-off-highway-vehicles/

 

The whities were lumped in with Athabasca Rainbows, Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout. I made the connection without verifying.

[Taco]

But there is no doubt that the rocky mountain whitefish runs are greatly reduced from what they were historically.The whitefish spawning run is just a faction of what it was in the 60's and 70's. Fractured habitat would be my guess.

[albertatrout]

I think focusing on the habitat/ water quality alone for cutts and athabasca bows will not prevent further losses from occurring. If you look through the buckets of data it would appear as though genetic introgression is the fastest moving threat. The only way to manage that one is through installation of a barrier or finding a way to slow the advancement of hatchery rainbow genetics. It has been attempted in certain areas and is problematic for other species like bullies. Pretty tough spot we are in even if industry and ATV use were to be stopped tomorrow.

[jpinkster]

Would a fishery management program to cull non-native species work? Something similar to the brook trout culls in other fisheries?

[jpinkster]

Stewardship Program is what I was trying to say.

[albertatrout]

Would a fishery management program to cull non-native species work? Something similar to the brook trout culls in other fisheries?

It has the potential to work but there are huge issues.

 

1. First is cost (it's huge to do it properly),

2. Fish id skills vary even among trained biologist, for many hybrids a dna test will be the only way to tell for sure.

3. Without barriers, compromised fish will return quickly (this has been seen in many areas across western NA where invasive species threaten bullies, cutts, or even warm water species).

4. There is no guarantee of success as environmental factors, climate, and even wildlife (like beavers) can undo years of work/ change the habitat to benefit the invasive species.

5. You need very broad public and government support, not as easy to get as one would think.

6. the list goes on and on and on...

 

Establishing genetic refuge above falls (natural or in my opinion, maybe even artificial) is one of the only ways to maintain 100% pure fish in many areas. Cutties and rainbows in particular are so similar in many ways, the overlap keeps developing and it's not boding well for the few remaining cutt's. It's even worse in athabow country, where you're talking rainbows and slightly different rainbows. I don't mean to be negative, but there's only so many fisheries dollars to go around and even one such project can add up very very quickly.

 

I do see water quality and atv access as the main threats in a few systems, but in the grande scheme of things we have some other issues that will be far more difficult to address. Genetic introgression is a very tough issue and I think the significance of it is understated due to the fact there's not much we can do to stop it in most creeks without increasing fragmentation for other species.

[DonAndersen]

Hate to burst the bubble but the flood of '95 washed a lot of cuts into the Crow downstream of the falls, Within a few years they were gone, Some places cuts can't live no matter what other fish exist.

Removal of any trout or char will not magically result in an explosion of native species. In some cases it will help & in others the result maybe no fish at all.

Up my way, you could remove all the Browns and brookies and in very few higher elevation streams there may not be any effect,

 

Things are not all that simple.

 

 

Don

[bcubed]

but if only we could get rid of those pesky otters

[albertatrout]

Hate to burst the bubble but the flood of '95 washed a lot of cuts into the Crow downstream of the falls, Within a few years they were gone, Some places cuts can't live no matter what other fish exist. Removal of any trout or char will not magically result in an explosion of native species. In some cases it will help & in others the result maybe no fish at all. Up my way, you could remove all the Browns and brookies and in very few higher elevation streams there may not be any effect, Things are not all that simple. Don

Not everywhere but there are streams that historically supported cutts that could, theoretically, be renovated (especially in headwater areas). This along with habitat enhancements, has been successfully completed in some other parts of Alberta with other native salmonid species. It's not cheap or going to work everywhere, but there are some options aside from ignoring the issue altogether. I know there are future projects sitting there waiting to move forward, only time will tell if anyone decides to act or just let nature take it's course (this is where the government will/cooperation bit is key).

[troutfriend]

albertatrout,

 

This is a challenging issue and as Don suggests "things are not all that simple", but it can and is being done.

http://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/nature/reintroducing-bonneville-cutthroat-trout.htm

 

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70155348

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19210302

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320710005355

http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/5/362.full

 

on the other hand,

If fish were "washed" downstream after flood in a river the size of the Crowsnest, then it would stand to reason that we should not have any populations remaining above waterfalls on smaller systems which have experienced similar sized floods in this province.

[albertatrout]

albertatrout,

 

This is a challenging issue and as Don suggests "things are not all that simple", but it can and is being done.

http://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/nature/reintroducing-bonneville-cutthroat-trout.htm

 

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70155348

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19210302

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320710005355

http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/5/362.full

 

on the other hand,

If fish were "washed" downstream after flood in a river the size of the Crowsnest, then it would stand to reason that we should not have any populations remaining above waterfalls on smaller systems which have experienced similar sized floods in this province.

 

Yup, agree fully. I think the suitable sites are very limited due to those factors. I agree it is not simple.

[troutfriend]

But, it can be done.

[DonAndersen]

but if only we could get rid of those pesky otters

 

 

 

Bcube,

 

Being as the otters showed with PC's. Maybe, just maybe, they will follow the PCs.

 

Just what our Ttout streams needed. A stocked predator. F.....g idiots

 

Don