BC MoE Burbot Recovery Progress 2007

1. BC MoE Burbot Recovery Progress 2007 Kootenai Burbot Conservation Strategy

2. Recovery Measure 9.1Fish Management • Although Burbot once comprised an important sport fishery they are now closed to harvest in the Kootenay River and Lake • Additional restrictions and closures have been implemented in other regional waterbodies as a result of low population size in recent years • Continued monitoring of incidental impacts and harvest

3. Recovery Measure 9.3System Productivity, Aquatic Communities • Continued fertilization of Kootenay Lake including both the North and South Arm projects • Continued efforts to restore and maintain other aspects of native fish communities including kokanee egg plants and sturgeon recovery efforts.

4. Recovery Measure 9.5Culture, Supplementation and Reintroduction • Evaluate donor stock suitability using both biological information and social constraints • Developing methods to capture, hold, spawn, fertilize and rear burbot. • Design a fish culture strategy

5. Recovery Measure 9.5 Evaluate donor stock suitability • Previous Studies: • Provision of brood stock for experimental fish culture (2001-2006) • Initial trapping in several lakes and reservoirs to establish background life history data (2001-2004) • Subsequent trapping aimed at enumerating burbot on Duncan Lake using a variety of sampling methods (2005-2006) • Selection of potential brood lake (Moyie Lake) 2006 • Stock assessment on Moyie lake including population and angler harvest estimates (ongoing)

6. Recovery Measure 9.5 Evaluate donor stock suitability • Studies initiated in Spring 2005 to mark and recapture fish to provide an index of population strength on Moyie • Additional trapping in Spring and Fall 2006 and Spring 2007. Estimate to be refined in next few months. • trapping with cod traps; apply M/R methods • South Lake ~ 1500 • North Lake ~ 1800 • survey still underway

7. Recovery Measure 9.5 Evaluate donor stock suitability • Assessing impacts from Moyie Lake winter sport fishery • fishery entirely through ice • creel survey last winter • attempted to use trail cameras and roving surveys • 2007 - caught 515, harvested 168 (a “poor” fishery in 2007)

8. Recovery Measure 9.5Develop Methods to rear burbot • Burbot provided to KTOI and U of I annually since Fall 2001. • Total of 158 burbot provided for fish culture trials and pathology sampling • 4 sources: Duncan, Moyie and Columbia Lakes, as well as Arrow Lakes Reservoir

9. Recovery Measure 9.5developing methods to rear burbot • 19 Adult burbot have again been provided to U of I in October 2007 from Moyie Lake to supplement current brood fish held from previous years (Moyie, Duncan and Arrow) • Support for IDFG trials of outdoor pond trials (“extensive culture”) • Working with KTOI to design a fish culture strategy

10. Recovery Measure 9.6Research, Monitoring and EvaluationInformation and Education • Annually Assist IDFG with studies to assess burbot status on Kootenay River and Lake • Prepare and distribute annual monitoring, evaluation and research reports

11. Next Steps • Refine brood collection techniques • Assist with aquaculture planning process • Assist with design of experimental release and monitoring strategy • Assist work to meet fish health requirements for release