Together with Giigoonyag – Acoustic Telemetry Fall 2020
As part of the Together with Giigoonyag initiative, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation), Parks Canada – Fathom Five National Marine Park, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and will be tagging lake whitefish for the purposes of acoustic telemetry. The goal of this project is to gain a better understanding of fish movement throughout Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. An acoustic telemetry system consists of two main components: transmitters and receivers. Transmitters are electronic tags that broadcast a series of “pings” (sound pulses) into the surrounding water. These tags will be surgically implanted into fish of interest and released back into the wild. Receivers are small, data-logging computers that will be anchored near the bottom of a lake to “listen” for tagged fish. To learn more about acoustic telemetry, please visit: https://glatos.glos.us/.
Lake whitefish will be tagged and implanted with acoustic transmitters in two locations of Georgian Bay in 2020: Port Elgin Shoal at Neyaashiinigmiing (50 fish) and in Nottawasaga Bay (50 fish). The project will expand to Lake Huron and the North Channel of Lake Huron in subsequent years as well as to other species, such as lake trout. Saugeen Ojibway Nation punt fish harvesters will be hired to aid in the catching of lake whitefish at Neyaashiinigmiing during this round of tagging. The implanting of an acoustic transmitter involves a minor surgery on each fish. The fish will be temporarily anaesthetized using MS-222 (Tricaine Methanesulfonate). We are advising against the sale, trade, and consumption of tagged fish in accordance to public health guidelines due to the use of the anaesthetic. Tagged fish will be easily identifiable by a fluorescent cinch tag (see image below). This advisory lasts for a month once this round of tagging is complete on December 4th, 2020.
If you should encounter one of these tags, we request that you please contact the Fisheries Assessment Program and bring the fish to their office. $100 will be awarded for each tagged and whole fish. If you catch a tagged lake whitefish please notify the Fisheries Assessment Program for pickup or drop-off. In addition to notifying Fisheries Assessment Program, you must record the specific location in which the fish was harvested. Miigwetch.
For more information, or if you find a tagged lake whitefish, please contact Alexander Duncan at 226-668-5221, or aduncan.nawash@gmail.com.