|
|
|
Fish History of the Nipigon Lake Nipigon is an aquatic resource of global significance, containing clean, clear water and a fish population that has changed little over the past one hundred years. The overall land use intent with regard to fisheries in the Lake Nipigon Basin is to ensure the maintenance of a healthy, world class, high- quality fishery. Approximately 50 fish species comprising 13 families occur within the planning area. Only nine non-native species inhabit the area, of these, six are
primarily confined to the lower
reaches of Nipigon and Black Sturgeon Rivers.
Lake Nipigon’s fish community has remained
relatively unchanged since the sculpins and allows species at risk such as shortjaw cisco and deepwater sculpin to persist. Although additional studies are needed, recent research indicates that five species of deepwater cisco, considered to be a devastated group of North American fishes (Turgeon & Bernatchez, 2000), still exist within Lake Nipigon. Two of these species have never been found elsewhere. Lake Nipigon also provides habitat for warm water species such as walleye, northern pike, sauger, sturgeon, yellow perch, common white and longnose sucker. Most of the inland lakes in the Basin are located primarily in the area south of Armstrong and are deep, cold-water lakes, surrounded by rugged terrain and high cliffs. Some shallow warm water lakes can be found in the area north of Lake Nipigon. Few of these lakes have been formally surveyed. Sport Fishery Fish species targeted during the mid to late 1900’s were mainly brook trout, walleye and northern pike. On the Nipigon River, over-fishing in the 1800s and the creation of dams from the 1920s to the 1950s, lead to habitat destruction and fluctuating water levels. A brook trout rehabilitation plan was developed in1989, and various fisheries management programs have taken place since then in an effort to protect brook trout populations and improve water levels on this famous river. On Lake Nipigon itself, sport fishing did not really get under way until after the Second World War. Tourist outfitters running charter boats out of Orient Bay, took anglers on multi-day, live on boat trips around the lake. The species targeted at this time were walleye, northern pike and brook trout. Charter boat operations continued through the 1950s to present day. Currently there are seven charter boat operators that offer over night trips and full on board services and accommodation. There are also approximately 25 to 30 day trip operators. In recent years the equipment used by the average angler has become more sophisticated. An increasing number of sports fishermen have fish finders, larger boats and down riggers. This has enabled them to travel out on Lake Nipigon on their own and to travel further afield. This widespread use of new technology in the early 1990s resulted in the “ discovery” of the recovering lake trout stocks, resulting in an explosion in the lake trout sport fishery (Swainson, 2001). The sport fish harvest oflake trout, historically less than 4% of the total sport fish harvest (Savioja, 1985 in Swainson, 2001), is now as high as 75% (van Ogtrop, 2001 in Swainson, 2001). The quality of the lake trout sportfishery has declined as a result. (chapter 2, pg 87) Fishing charters are an important part of the local economy. A total of 10 tourist outfitters (charter boat operators and lodges, resorts and cabins) are located on Lake Nipigon. Areas accessible by road include Pijitawabik Bay, Poplar Point, High Hill Harbour, South Bay, Gull Bay, Chief Bay, Ombabika Bay, Humboldt Bay, Onaman River and the Poshkokagan River. Sport fish management practices will also be modified to ensure the sustainability and continued world class status of the Lake Nipigon fishery. This will involve developing a direct harvest control system such that the total harvest by anglers does not exceed the sport fish allocation. This system will be developed in consultation with the public and by investigating the types and success rates of harvest control systems currently being used in various locations around the world. Other management options for Lake Nipigon that will be investigated include allowing only artificial lures year round, creating fish sanctuaries to protect sensitive spawning habitat and establishing a fisheries and wildlife management board for Lake Nipigon waters and shore lands.
Commercial Fishing Large-scale, mechanized commercial fishing did not occur in the Lake Nipigon Basin until the early 1900’s. The lake was opened to unrestricted commercial fishing in 1917 in response to a food shortage brought on by World War I. The fish stocks were quickly over-fished as a “fishing bonanza” took place. Peak harvest was reached in 1919 at 2.3 million pounds. (chapter2 pg 85) Since that time, stock harvests have fluctuated depending on factors such as market price, weather, fishing effort and stock abundance. Lake whitefish are the mainstay of the fishery. Other fish species sought have included walleye, lake trout, sauger, cisco and northern pike species. Since the smelt arrival in Lake Nipigon in 1976, smelt fishing has skyrocketed to over half a million pounds reported harvest in 2000. Reported commercial harvests of whitefish and lake trout have remained relatively unchanged. Walleye and sauger reported harvest levels have remained low since a 1996, harvest decline and the subsequent closure of Ombabika Bay to commercial fishing. Whitefish is the mainstay of the commercial fishery, with other species such as walleye, lake trout, sauger and northern pike varying in their contribution to the fishery. The lake sturgeon fishery collapsed in the 1920s and it remains at a very low level. Reported harvests for lake trout and whitefish have been stable from 1990 to 1998. The commercial smelt fishery has exploded from 1000 kg annually in the early 1990s to 239,000 kg by 2000. Currently commercial fishermen favour gillnetting over other methods of commercial fishing. This method results in incidental catches of non-targeted species such as lake trout. Commercial fishermen are reluctant to try trapnetting or poundnets as a means of reducing incidental catches. Some conflict exists between the commercial fishermen and sport fishermen with regard to lake trout. Commercial fishermen would like an increase in the lake trout quota. Now that the sport fishing harvest of lake trout has increased, lake trout harvest levels may not be sustainable without direct harvest controls on the sport fishery or a reduced commercial quota or some combination of the two. Walleye populations are degraded from overexploitation. Walleye and sauger harvests have remained low since the early 1990s. The commercial walleye and sauger fishery was recently closed lake-wide in April 2002 due to the degraded status of the populations. Wabinosh and Ombabika Bays have been closed to all commercial fishing since 1996. Some commercial fishermen would like to see these bays closed to sport fishermen as well. (Chapter 2 section 4.4. page 60)
|
|
|