Researchers granted funds for fish

 

 

 

 

Anglers around the world may be set for a surprise in upcoming years, as Carleton professor Steve Cook takes the lead of a research group that will study the effects of “catch and release” fishing.

 

The team, composed of five professors and several graduate students from around the country, will begin fieldwork this summer on a new project that will examine salmon sustainability on the Pacific coast.

 

Bill Willmore, Carleton biochemist and research team member, said he hopes to gain insight into why fish die after 
being released.

 

“When you capture a fish and release it, it’s undergoing a number of stresses,” he said, “and we’re interested in the parameters of those stresses.

 

“The ultimate goal is to have one measure of stress that we can use to say, ‘this fish is going to die after capturing and releasing it, or this fish is going to live.’ If they live, what are the long term effects?”

 

This project is one of 23 that received research grants from the National Scientific and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The total amount of the grant they will receive is $587,600.

 

Many groups focus on research concerning fisheries and aquaculture, but “ours is the only one that focuses on this salmon issue, and the only one that addresses issues specific to all three fishery sectors,” said Cook.

 

The three fishery sectors are commercial, First Nations and recreational, all releasing certain types and sizes of fish after capture. 

 

“Our grant is focused on making sure that the fish that are released do survive,” said Cook.

 

To do this, the team will spend August to November on the Pacific coast, putting transmitters on fish to track how many live and how many die.

 

While the team said they recognize that they have received an   already substantial amount of   funding from NSERC for this project, they have   
applied for subsequent grants to continue their research for years to come.

 

“This specific project is focused on quantifying how much mortality occurs from different types of fishing gears,” said Cook.

 

“That’s part of it, but we’re really focused on solutions, so that’s trying to 
develop strategies that will actually reduce mortality and will lead to a more 
sustainable fishery.