by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Sep 03/97) - The Meliadine River. It's one of the more popular fishing spots located just outside Rankin Inlet.

For the last three weeks or so this river, known for its beautiful char and grayling has been the site of an interesting fish study.

"It's been going really well. It's an ideal location," said Rob Stack, biological technician who's been conducting the study with assistant Roy Manitok.

A fence has been laid across the slowly flowing Meliadine River. A trap is situated in the centre to capture the fish as they swim down stream.

Twice a day Stack checks the trap and takes out the captured fish. He measures each one and relays the information to Manitok who records it in a log book.

Once the length and sometimes the weight is taken, Stack tags the fish with one of two kinds of devices depending on the size of the fish.

Smaller fish get a bright orange tag, called a spaghetti tag.

It looks much like a short piece of round wire.

On the tag is written a code and the address of the company doing the study so that when the fish is retrieved by a fishermen it can be sent away to the surveyors.

The fisherman can either mail it to the head office or drop the tag off at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Rankin Inlet. A small sum is given to those who turn in tags, $5 for a spaghetti tag, $25 for the other tag.

The other tag, attached to bigger fish is a radio transmitter. It's about the same size as an adult finger.

When tagged, a fish can be monitored and tracked to where it's going to spawn.

Since the project began on August 15, Stack and Manitok have captured 531 fish, as of Aug. 24.

Approximately 95 per cent have been char. The rest have been grayling and lake trout.

The main objective of the study was not to enumerate the run, said Stack, but to monitor and track the spawning patterns of the fish.

Once Stack has compiled his data he will put together a report for the WMC Mining Camp, which is exploring for minerals at the Meliadine River.

It's part of an environmental balance study WMC is required to do prior to the possible establishment of a mine in the region. It will help them determine the impact a mine in the area may have on fish stocks.

The fish study wrapped up yesterday.

The last fish study done in the area was in 1990 during the second half of the char run at Meliadine River. It resulted in 1,200 fish being captured.

Stack said it might be a good idea to do fish studies a few years in a row to get a better understanding of fish habits.