A Fishery Development Strategy for the Canadian Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf Area , D.B. Stewart, R.A. Ratynski, L.M.J. Bernier and D.J. Ramsey Central and Arctic Region Department of Fisheries and Oceans Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6 Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 1910 Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 1910 A FISHERY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE CANADIAN BEAUFORT SEA-AMUNDSEN GULF AREA D.B. Stewart', R.A. Ratynski, L.M.J. Bernier2, and D.J. Ramsey3 Central and Arctic Region Department of Fisheries and Oceans Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6 Prepared for The Fisheries Joint Management Committee, Inuvik, Northwest Territories XOE OTO This is the 53rd Technical Report from the Central and Arctic Region, Winnipeg ' Arctic Biological Consultants, 95 Turnbull Drive, Winnipeg, MB, R3V 1L5. Komuk Biological Consultants, Box 386, Lorette, MB, ROA OYO. Agassiz North Associates Ltd., 1214B Chevrier Blvd., Winnipeg, MB, R3T 1Y3 a Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1993 Cat. # Fs-97-611910E ISSN 0706-6457 Correct citation for this publication is: Stewart, D.B., R.A. Ratynski, L.M.J. Bernier, and D.J. Ramsey. 1993. A fishery development strategy for the Canadian Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf area. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1910: v + 127 p. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pane ABSTRACTIRESUME . v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 75 INTRODUCTION.. 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . 76 PART 1. LITERATURE REVIEW . 1 REFERENCES ........................ 76 Research efforts . 1 PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS . 98 Historical overview . 1 Geographical, spatial, and temporal coverage . 2 Samplingmethods .................... 2 LlST OF FIGURES Species descriptions . 3 Bivalve molluscs . 3 Finure Page Cuttlefish and octopus . 5 Decapod crustaceans . 6 1 Map of the Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf Echinoderms . 8 area . 100 Fishes . 10 Marine mammals . 34 2 Schematic of payments received for Coastal and offshore commercial fisheries in northern Arctic charr by Cambridge Bay Canada ........................... 34 commercial fishermen . 101 Beaufort Sea-Mackenzie Delta . 34 Cambridge Bay . 37 3 Recommended approach to fishery District of Keewatin . 41 development . 102 Belcher Islands . 45 Hudson Strait . 46 4 A linear breakeven chart illustrating the Baf f in Island . 48 relationships between fixed and variable Commercial harvest potential of the southeastern costs, total revenue and total costs, and Beaufort Sea . 5 1 profit and loss . 103 PART 2. STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT . 51 Fishery resource assessment . 52 Fishery economics . 53 LlST OF TABLES Cost and earnings survey . 54 Pre-feasibility modelling . 55 Table Page Sensitivity analysis . 55 Constraints to fishery development . 56 1 Bivalve molluscs reported from the Regulatory and political . 56 Beaufort Sea and east into Amundsen Environmental ..................... 60 Gulf ......................... 104 Biological ........................ 61 Social ........................... 63 2 Tonnages of mollusc species landed by Economic . 65 Canadian and other Atlantic and Pacific Technological ..................... 69 fisheries in 1986 . 107 PART 3. A FISHERY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE CANADIAN BEAUFORT SEA AND AMUNDSEN 3 Decapod crustaceans reported from the GULF ............................. 70 waters of Arctic Canada and the western Development rationale . 70 Beaufort Sea . 108 Project recommendations . 7 1 Sport fishery development . 72 4 Summary of information on the Resource enhancement . 73 occurrence, harvest, and landed value of Resource monitoring . 74 fish species in the Beaufort Sea- Marine resource identification . 74 Amundsen Gulf study area . l 10 Table Pane 5 A summary of fishery cost and return information which may be obtained from personal interviews for use in economic analyses ..................... 114 LIST OF APPENDICES 1 Some options for research vessel support ...................... 115 2 Prefeasibility breakeven analysis for a Pacific herring roe fishery at Tuktoyaktuk, NWT ........................ 117 3 Sensitivity analysis for a Prince Albert Sound charr fishery .............. 120 4 Outline of discussions with HTC's to assess community interest in fishery development .................. 127 ABSTRACT Stewart, D.B., R.A. Ratynski, L.M.J. Bernier, and D.J. Stewart, D.B., R.A. Ratynski, L.M.J. Bernier, and D.J. Ramsey. 1993. A fishery development strategy Ramsey. 1993. A fishery development strategy for the Canadian Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf for the Canadian Beaufort Sea-Amundsen Gulf area. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1910: area. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1910: v + 127 p. v + 127 p. This study was initiated for the Inuvialuit, by the Cette etude a 6tB entreprise pour les lnuvialuit Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC), to par le Comitd mixte de gestion de la pgche (CMGP) afin assess opportunities for commercial fishery dlBvaluer les possibilites d'implantation de pgche development in the Canadian Beaufort Sea-Amundsen commerciale dans la region canadienne de la mer de Gulf area. Reviews of existing knowledge did not find Beaufort et du golfe dlAmundsen. Selon I'examen des invertebrate or fish stocks in the area capable of donnees actuelles, il n'existe pas dans cette region de sustaining a viable commercial export fishery. They stocks de poissons ou dfinvertebr6s suffisants qui found that coastal and offshore commercial fisheries in permettrait de rentabiliser une pgche commerciale arctic Canada are severely constrained by d'exportation. De mgme, il ressort que la pgche cbtiere environmental, social, and economic factors. et la pQche hauturikre dans la region arctique canadienne sont serieusement limitees par des facteurs Lacking a proven resource base, the FJMC has environnementaux, sociaux et Bconomiques. two recommended options if it plans to proceed with fishery development: 1) to conduct biological stock Devant cette absence de ressources essentielles, assessment research in hope of locating a suitable le CMGP doit choisir entre deux options recommanddes stock, and 2) to seek1 development opportunities in s'il decide de poursuivre le developpement des peches: other areas such as sport fisheries. Before any 1) effectuer une recherche pour Bvaluer les stocks de commercial development proceeds, it should have local poissons dans I'espoir d'en trouver qui seront support, be sustainable, and optimize benefits to the exploitables; 2) rechercher des possibilites de Inuvialuit. developpement dans d'autres domaines, comme, par exemple, la pgche sportive. Avant de commencer Given the difficulty and cost of fishery research toute developpement commercial, il faudra s'assurer and development in the area, it is vital that interested que ce dernier est soutenu par la population locale, parties such as the FJMC, government, and others qu'il est durable et qu'il profite aux Inuvialuit. formulate an overall research and development strategy and work cooperatively towards its completion. An' Ctant donne la difficult4 et le coirt lies au approach to fishery development is described, with a developpement des p6ches et de la recherche connexe discussion of constraining factors and specific project dans cette region, il est essentiel que les parties recommendations. concernees, 8 savoir le CMGP et le gouvernement, entre autres, 6tablissent une stratdgie globale de Key words: Northwest Territories; Mackenzie Delta; recherche et de developpement et qu'elles travaillent Cambridge Bay; District of Keewatin; Baffin ensemble a sa mise en oeuvre. Une demarche Island; Hudson Strait; Belcher Islands; fishery concernant le developpement des pgches est decrite economics; commercial fishing; marine fish; dans cette etude, ainsi qu'une discussion sur les anadromous fish; marine invertebrates; stocks; facteurs de limitation et des recommandations sur des distribution; abundance; life history. projets particuliers. Mots-cles: Territoires du Nord-Ouest; delta du Mackenzie; Cambridge Bay; district de Keewatin; detroit d'Hudson; iles Belcher; Bconomie de la pgche; pgche commerciale; poissons de mer; poissons anadromes; invertebres de mer; stocks; distribution; abondance; 6volution biologique. INTRODUCTION fishery resource, and representative northern commercial fisheries. The commercial fishery potential During the Fisheries Joint Management of species present in the area is then assessed in light Committee's (FJMC) annual "community tour" in of the information available. 1987,the Hunters and Trappers Committees (HTCI in Sachs Harbour and Holman expressed interest in Information was obtained from the published developing new and existing fisheries in their areas. In literature and government files; discussions with response the FJMC initiated this study which was federal and territorial government biologists, fishery completed in 1989 (Stewart et al. 1989)and has since managers, and economists; and from representatives been updated for publication. Its purpose is to assess of the Beaufort Sea communities and private the potential for commercial fisheries and to consider enterprise. Emphasis was placed on the Canadian options for fishery development in the Beaufort Sea- Beaufort Sea and Arctic fishery development. Amundsen Gulf area by the lnuvialuit (Fig. l). The study relies on existing information and its RESEARCH EFFORTS general focus is on commercially attractive invertebrates and anadromous and marine fishes which To correctly interpret biological data that are occur in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, particularly within available from the Canadian Beaufort Sea one must accessible range of the communities