Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Monday, June 11, 2007

BEAUFORT DELTA - Did last year's voluntary ban on fishing help the char population?

It's unknown, say biologists.

And unless conclusive proof is found that the char's struggling numbers are rebounding, residents of the NWT will be urged to do without.

Nathan Millar, who is a fisheries biologist with the Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board in Inuvik, said a voluntary ban on Arctic char would likely be urged for another two or three years.

At that time, he said, environmental monitoring groups like the resource board will be able to better determine if char populations are rebounding, or slipping towards further collapse.

"We usually rely on estimates of the population, and those only happen every three years. We essentially have no new information since last year," Millar said.

He added a comprehensive study of the char is currently being planned, and the final results should be published by fall 2008.

On May 14 and 15, the communities of Fort McPherson and Aklavik held meetings to discuss the char's disappearance.

The meetings were attended by a variety of people and groups with a stake in the fish stocks, including the Rat River Char Working Group, the GRRB, representatives of local hunters and trappers associations, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Joint Fisheries Management Committee, and hamlet representatives.

Millar said the meetings were also open to the public.

"We were trying to get feedback, and get their input as to whether they agreed with the recommendation," he said.

While the GRRB's call is not legally binding - meaning those who fish char cannot be charged by wildlife officers - Millar said the GRRB would be appealing to people's conscience.

"Nothing has really changed since last year, but we're certainly going to be doing a big educational campaign and bringing awareness to the issue," he said.

For example, Millar said the board would sponsor radio ads and posters in communities, including some signs placed outdoors at popular fishing spots.

While it is impossible to know for sure, Millar said it appears last year's ban was respected by most people.

"It's hard to know exactly, but it seems people generally accepted it. They understood why the voluntary ban was in place, and generally people were pretty responsive," he said.

The fish is a traditional staple enjoyed in the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit Settlement Regions, and is usually fished with nets which are placed in the river current.

It is also popular for fly and reel fishing, and helps attract customers to northern outfitting businesses.

The peak char fishing season starts in August, when the fish travel to their spawning grounds and their bellies turn red.

Fred Hamilton, who manages the High Arctic Lodge outfitting company based in Northern B.C., said there is perhaps an example to be learned from the Eastern Arctic.

He said his company takes fishermen outside Cambridge Bay in Nunavut to fish char, but the industry has strong quotas to abide by.

And while Nunavut's char stocks also declined in recent years, he said, moderation has helped the fish rebound, and he agreed a voluntary restriction might be a good idea for the NWT.

"In the Eastern Arctic, they have their problems also, but they have learned their lessons.

"They've had over-fished areas but they've let them come back. For the commercial quota, they've pretty well got that down pat now, we don't seem to have an effect on the fish population at all," he said.

He added the char is a valuable resource, and also delicious when cooked with olives and rice. "It's one of the best eating fish in the world, it's a renowned gourmet fish," he said.

Locally fished alternatives to char include whitefish and coney.