Yukon and Kuskokwim Whitefish Strategic Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Whitefish Biology, Distribution, and Fisheries in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River Drainages in Alaska: a Synthesis of Available Information Alaska Fisheries Data Series Number 2012-4 Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office Fairbanks, Alaska May 2012 The Alaska Region Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts fisheries monitoring and population assessment studies throughout many areas of Alaska. Dedicated professional staff located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Kenai Fish and Wildlife Offices and the Anchorage Conservation Genetics Laboratory serve as the core of the Program’s fisheries management study efforts. Administrative and technical support is provided by staff in the Anchorage Regional Office. Our program works closely with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and other partners to conserve and restore Alaska’s fish populations and aquatic habitats. Our fisheries studies occur throughout the 16 National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska as well as off- Refuges to address issues of interjurisdictional fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation. Additional information about the Fisheries Program and work conducted by our field offices can be obtained at: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/index.htm The Alaska Region Fisheries Program reports its study findings through the Alaska Fisheries Data Series (AFDS) or in recognized peer-reviewed journals. The AFDS was established to provide timely dissemination of data to fishery managers and other technically oriented professionals, for inclusion in agency databases, and to archive detailed study designs and results for the benefit of future investigations. Publication in the AFDS does not preclude further reporting of study results through recognized peer-reviewed journals. Cover: Six common whitefish species in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River drainages in Alaska (photo credit: R.J. Brown, USFWS). Disclaimer: The use of trade names of commercial products in this report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the federal government. Alaska Fisheries Data Series Number 2012-4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Whitefish Biology, Distribution, and Fisheries in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River Drainages in Alaska: a Synthesis of Available Information Randy J. Brown1, Caroline Brown2, Nicole M. Braem2, William K. Carter III1, Nicole Legere1, and Lisa Slayton2 Abstract Whitefish species in Alaska are subject to intensive subsistence fisheries everywhere they occur, commercial fisheries in certain places, and limited sport fisheries. Our understanding of whitefish biology comes primarily from studies of the same or similar species in other places, although some biological studies have taken place locally. Whitefish fisheries in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River drainages in Alaska have been documented in numerous anthropological and social science publications and in subsistence harvest surveys, but usually without species distinctions. Scientific sampling work since the 1960s has been reasonably effective at describing the species that are present and their distributions within the two drainages, but our understanding of populations, migrations, and demographic distribution among habitats is poor. We are just beginning to understand that major spawning migrations into upstream reaches of the drainage occur each summer and fall, juvenile and non-spawning fish dominate the lower reaches of both rivers and the coastal areas, and mature and spawning fish dominate the upper reaches. A small number of whitefish spawning areas have been identified in gravel substrate reaches of main-stem and tributary rivers in both turbid and clear water. Genetics work with whitefish species has focused more on taxonomy and biogeography issues than for management applications. With two exceptions in the entire Yukon and Kuskokwim River drainages, population abundance data are absent. Our ability to protect essential habitats for whitefish populations is growing with the improved understanding of their spawning destinations and life histories. Our ability to monitor whitefish population trends and to make effective harvest regulations, however, is very limited at this point. In the following manuscript we provide an overview of the whitefish and whitefish fisheries in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River drainages in Alaska. The geography and aquatic habitat qualities of the two drainages are explored in detail. The taxonomy of whitefish species present in the drainage is discussed. We introduce a selection of important biological qualities of whitefish species, as 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office 2 Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Subsistence Division Randy J. Brown can be contacted by e-mail at <[email protected]>. Caroline Brown can be contacted by e-mail at <[email protected]>. Alaska Fisheries Data Series Number 2012-4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documented in the literature. The nature of the many fisheries on whitefish species is described based on individual community studies and regional harvest surveys. Threats to whitefish populations, as identified in two meetings of delegates from a wide range of experience with whitefish harvest, research, and management, are critically examined. These include threats that may arise from overharvest of fishery resources, from habitat destruction that may occur during development activities, and from natural environmental changes. We then review the current state of knowledge of whitefish populations, distribution, and life history within the study area. Information that would improve our ability to protect essential habitats, monitor the abundance of whitefish populations, obtain harvest estimates, and establish reasonable and effective harvest regulations are identified. Finally, a general approach to research of whitefish populations is outlined and a number of specific research concepts and project ideas are recommended for the four species we thought most likely to be impacted by human activities. ii Alaska Fisheries Data Series Number 2012-4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... vii List of Appendices ................................................................................................................... xi Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Study Area ................................................................................................................................ 4 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 9 Taxonomy ............................................................................................................................... 10 Biology and Life History ........................................................................................................ 13 Spawning season ................................................................................................................. 15 Fecundity and egg biology .................................................................................................. 17 Spawning areas ................................................................................................................... 18 Maturity and spawning readiness........................................................................................ 20 Minimum length at maturity ............................................................................................... 24 Aging, minimum age at maturity, and longevity ................................................................ 26 Spawning frequency............................................................................................................ 31 Food preferences ................................................................................................................. 33 Fisheries (Subsistence, Commercial, Sport) ........................................................................... 36 Potential Threats and Concerns .............................................................................................. 39 Harvest and fishery related issues ....................................................................................... 40 Development issues ............................................................................................................ 48 Minerals mining .............................................................................................................. 48 Streambed gravel mining ................................................................................................ 49 Logging ........................................................................................................................... 50 Roads..............................................................................................................................