Stephen Spencer, area fisheries biologist for ESRD, compares the past health of Alberta lakes to the present with regard to fish population.
Historically, the diminishing supply of fish in many lakes in Alberta has been a direct result of overfishing; the supply can’t meet demand. For example, in Lac Ste Anne and Pigeon Lake the walleye disappeared; in Wabamun Lake the walleye extirpated and the pike collapsed.
Fisheries of Alberta’s present management cycle include fish assessment and fisheries use, consultation, and the creation and implementation of appropriate regulation. Present successes include: walleye has been re-introduced with sustainable harvest in Pigeon Lake, and in Lac Ste. Anne walleye is sustainable, and northern pike is recovering. The biggest threat to fish in Alberta remains water quality.
This presentation was a part of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance Educational Forum entitled “Fisheries of the NSR Watershed”. It took place in Edmonton in September, 2014.
