Mackenzie River Fish Population Assessment 1989-1993

Biological data from an exploratory fishery in the Mackenzie River Delta between 1989 and 1993, collected at the request of the Inuvik Hunters and Trappers Committee. The dataset includes analyses of broad whitefish, northern pike, inconnu, and lake whitefish, assessing population structure and fishery impact.

Use Cases

• Analyze broad whitefish fork length and age data to assess population stability and separation between main and side channels.
• Compare age at maturity and sex ratio trends across northern pike, inconnu, and lake whitefish to evaluate differential fishery impacts.
• Model instantaneous mortality and growth rates for inconnu and lake whitefish to estimate sustainable harvest levels.
• Investigate gonadosomatic index data in relation to spawning behavior and maturity for broad whitefish.

Strengths

• Data collected over a 5-year period (1989-1993) provides a multi-year view of fish populations.
• Analysis covers four distinct fish species (broad whitefish, northern pike, inconnu, lake whitefish) with specific biological metrics.
• Findings are documented in two technical reports (DFO Technical Report 2180 and 2330), providing detailed context.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column count, and sample sizes for biological measurements are not provided.
• Subsistence harvest levels for the region are noted as having little reliable information, limiting full stock assessment.
• Data collection ended in 1993, making the dataset temporally stale for current population assessments.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Data collected using variable mesh experimental gill nets and commercial harvesters' 139 mm mesh gill nets.

Time Range

1989 to 1993

Freshness

Data covers 1989-1993; last metadata update was 2026-03-24.

Geography

Mackenzie River Delta, Canada