Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report to 2013

Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 2014

Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report Andrea McGregor Project Biologist Fisheries Management Branch Waterways-Lac La Biche Area Page i

Executive Summary The Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program was initiated in 2005 as a six-part program with management actions targeting commercial and recreational fishery reductions, walleye stocking, Double-crested Cormorant control, protection of critical fish areas, and monitoring. The social objective of the program was to improve fishing opportunities for future generations by restoring the lake to historical conditions. The ecological objectives were to recover the walleye population and improve the overall size structure of the fish community. In 2005, cormorant culling was introduced to complement egg oiling in order to achieve a reduction in the number of birds breeding in the Lac La Biche area. Restrictions on commercial and recreational harvest were introduced in 2006, and more than 200 million walleye fry, along with fingerlings and adult walleye, were stocked between 2006 and 2011. Fall walleye index netting surveys and annual monitoring of cormorants and co-nesting species were conducted in order to assess the ecological responses to management actions. Walleye stocking was successful, increasing the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of catchable sized walleye (>350 mm TL) in a 10-panel net from 0.09 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2005 to 14.27 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2013. The CPUE for all walleye peaked at 18.35 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2011, declining in 2012 and 2013 when annual walleye stocking was stopped. Generally, abundance increased for predator and omnivore fish species, and decreased for prey groups. Changes in the population size structure for yellow perch and lake whitefish suggest an increase in the abundance of large fish in 2013 compared to 2005, as well as a notable spikes in recruitment in 2013. Cisco and white suckers also showed recruitment spikes in 2013, but overall, cisco abundance remains similar to 2005 and sucker abundance is still notably lower. northern pike size structure was consistent between years, generally with more fish at all sizes; However, pike CPUE declined approximately 40% from 2012 to 2013. Management actions caused an 83% decrease in nesting cormorants between 2003 and 2013. Over the ten years of active cormorant management, 30,444 nests were sterilized through egg oiling and 8,143 birds (mostly adults) were culled. Since 2010, the number of Indian and Metis domestic netting licenses has approximately doubled. Commercial lake whitefish fisheries have failed to achieve their quota, generally being shut down early for exceeding bycatch tolerances for pike and walleye. Determining the success of the restoration program will require a holistic approach to long-term monitoring of the aquatic ecosystem and the disturbances that threaten its stability. Annual monitoring of the fisheries (FWIN) is recommended to maintain the long-term dataset that will allow assessment of changes in species composition and abundance during the restoration process. In addition, cormorants and their co-nesting species should be monitored to document changes in population size or productivity as the fishery changes. Cormorant management will also likely be required for an indefinite amount of time as the abundant yellow perch population continues to provide a seasonal forage base to support successful breeding of large populations of waterbirds. One of the largest threats to program success moving forward is overharvest of the walleye population during a critical recovery period. Currently, the walleye population is classified as collapsed based on the criteria in Alberta s Walleye Recovery Plan (Berry 1995). Page ii

Given this classification the proposed management action is to maintain a catch and release fishery. Increased fishing mortality from domestic and commercial harvest and illegal recreational harvest poses a very serious threat to the continued recovery of the walleye population. Future research should focus on quantifying mortality associated with the commercial, domestic, and recreational harvest, assessing the success of different genetic strains of walleye and partnering with the Lac La Biche County to monitor water quality, lake productivity, and benthic invertebrate productivity. Page iii

Permission to Quote This report contains preliminary information and interpretations that might be subject to future revisions. Persons who wish to quote from this report, cite it in a bibliography, or use it in any other form must first obtain permission from: Executive Director, LAR Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development; or the author. Keywords: Cormorant, Walleye, FWIN, Lac la Biche Author contact information: Andrea M c Gregor (Andrea.McGregor@gov.ab.ca) Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Twin Atria Building, Main Floor, 4999 98 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 2X3. Suggested citation: McGregor, A.M. 2014. Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report,. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, Alberta. Page iv

Acknowledgments I thank C. Davis for his foresight in initiating this research and his mentorship over our 10 years working together. I thank all of the fisheries staff from the Lac la Biche/Waterways area for their help with the fieldwork, especially staff working in the Lac La Biche office. I also thank D. Latty, A. Pruden-Beniuk, C. Dockrill, J. Walker, J. Sloychuk and P. MacMahon for their review of this report. Page v

Table of Contents Executive Summary... ii Permission to Quote... iv Acknowledgments... v List of Tables... viii List of Figures... ix List of Appendices... x Introduction... 1 Study Area... 1 General... 1 Double-crested cormorant populations... 2 Lac La Biche Fisheries... 2 Restoration Program Management Actions... 3 Commercial fishery reductions... 3 Sportfishing reductions... 3 Walleye stocking... 3 Cormorant control... 4 Protection of critical fish areas... 4 Monitoring... 4 Restoration Program Management Results... 4 Commercial fishery reductions... 4 Sport fishery regulations... 5 Walleye stocking... 5 Cormorant control... 5 Protection of critical fish areas... 6 Page vi

Monitoring... 6 Discussion... 6 Management Considerations... 9 Literature cited... 10 Appendices... 30 Page vii

List of Tables Table 1. UTM coordinates for all known cormorant colonies (active or otherwise) in the Lac La Biche Lac La Biche Area. Coordinates are all in Zone 12 and were derived using the Alberta Government Internet Mapping Framework 2009. For two of the colonies, nests are spread across two adjacent islands. Locations for both are provided, but counts are combined as the colonies are very close together so population dynamics are considered to apply to both simultaneously. For these cases, the primary colony is listed first.... 12 Table 2. Common and Latin names for all fish species known to occur within Lac la Biche... 12 Table 3. Summary of walleye stocking events for Lac La Biche including stocking year, number of walleye stocked, stage of walleye stocked (eggs, fry, fingerlings, adults), and the source of the stocked fish.... 13 Table 4. Overview of the name, lake area, predominant nest type, and annual management treatment for each of the eleven Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) colonies included in this study. The two management treatments are referred to as egg oiling or culling. Blanks indicate that no management treatment was applied... 14 Table 5. Criteria for classifying the status of walleye fisheries, modified for FWIN analysis (from Sullivan 2003)... 15 Table 6. Summary of the number of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) nests available for control and the actual number of adult birds culled and nests oiled during the breeding season on all managed colonies within a 45- km radius of Lac la Biche.... 16 Page viii

List of Figures Figure 1. Map of the Province of Alberta indicating the approximate location of Lac la Biche. Inset map shows the shape of the lake and the location of the town on Lac La Biche on the southern tip of the lake.... 17 Figure 2. Change in Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) population over time as indexed from nest counts on surveyed colonies within a 45 km radius of Lac la Biche.... 18 Figure 3. Commercial harvest data for Lac La Biche showing a) the annual estimated commercial harvests (kg) and harvest quotas, and b) the number of nets lifted and the harvest per net (kg) from for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis).... 19 Figure 4. Commercial harvest data for Lac La Biche showing a) the annual estimated commercial harvests (kg) and tolerance limits, and b) the number of nets lifted and the harvest per net (kg) from for northern pike (Esox lucius).... 21 Figure 5. Commercial harvest data for Lac La Biche showing a) the annual estimated commercial harvests (kg) and tolerance limits, and b) the number of nets lifted and the harvest per net (kg) from for walleye (Sander vitreus).... 22 Figure 6. Trends in the number of Indian, Metis, and total (Indian and Metis) domestic licenses sold for Lac La Biche between 2003 ad 2012. Data for 2013 are not complete and were excluded.... 23 Figure 7. Trends in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; fish 100m -2 yr -1 ) and biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE; kg 100m -2 yr -1 ) of all northern pike (Esox lucius) captured during fall walleye index netting conducted at Lac La Biche between 2005 and 2013.... 24 Figure 8. Total length distributions for all northern pike (Esox lucius) captured during fall walleye index netting at the start of the program in 2005 and during the last year of survey (2013). Overlapping distributions highlight changes in size structure of each fish community over the nine years Lac La Biche Fishery Restoration Program... 24 Figure 9. Trends in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; fish 100m -2 yr -1 ) and biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE; kg 100m -2 yr -1 ) of all walleye (Sander vitreus) captured during fall walleye index netting conducted at Lac La Biche between 2005 and 2013. Walleye were stocked in Lac La Biche between 2006 and 2011. 25 Figure 10. Trend in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; fish 100m -2 yr -1 ) of catchable sized walleye (Sander vitreus) (>328 mm FL) walleye captured during fall walleye index netting conducted between 2005 and 2013. Walleye were stocked in Lac La Biche between 2006 and 2011.... 25 Figure 11. WALL Total length frequency by year class in the 2013 FWIN. CPUE for each year class is represented as the annual CPUE contribution to the total 2013 10-panel CPUE of 14.32 fish 100m -2 yr -1.... 26 Page ix

Figure 12. Change in the number of cormorant nests counted on the five managed colonies between 2003 and 2013.... 27 Figure 13. Change in the number of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) nests counted on the five surveyed colonies between 2003 and 2013.... 28 Figure 14. Comparison of fish species abundances (CPUE; fish 100m -2 yr -1 ) in Lac La Biche for two different time periods: 2005-2008 and 2009-2013.... 29 List of Appendices Appendix A. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (2005) brochure describing the Lac La Biche Fishery Restoration Program and objectives.... 30 Appendix B. Summary of commercial and recreational regulation changes implemented since 2005 as part of the Lac La Biche Fishery Restoration Program... 32 Page x

Introduction Starting in the 1980s, double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) (hereafter referred to as DCCO or cormorant) populations in Alberta, Canada, have rebounded from seriously low numbers in mid-century. Cormorant population growth at Lac La Biche coincided with changes both to the fish community and the lake s fisheries. Specifically, there was a noticeable decrease in the average size but increase in the abundance of forage fish, namely yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and an apparent increase in abundance of large coarse fish such as burbot (Lota lota) and white suckers (Catostomus commersoni). Species with recreational and commercial significance, mostly walleye (Sander vitreus), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), and northern pike (Esox lucius) have remained at low population sizes. Walleye are of particular concern because their population has failed to recover despite 15 years of stocking and a regulation change to catch-and-release angling in 1996 (Patterson and Sullivan 1999). The inability to recover the walleye population during a period of exponential cormorant population growth was thought to be related; the perceived relationship between walleye and cormorants contributed to the passing of the Fisheries (Alberta) Amendment Act, a private members bill outlining the need for active management of piscivorous waterbirds and fish populations (Province of Alberta, Statutes of Alberta, 2002, Chapter 14). Though the Act has not been proclaimed, in 2005 Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development initiated a fisheries restoration program at Lac la Biche. The social objective of this long-term management program was to improve[ing] fishing opportunities for future generations (Appendix A) and the main ecological objectives were to recover the walleye population and improve the overall size structure of the fish community (McGregor and Davis 2012). Walleye were to be considered recovered when the population was large enough to allow sustained, responsible harvest (McGregor 2013). To achieve these objectives, the restoration program adopted a six-part management program including: commercial and recreational fishery reductions, walleye stocking, cormorant control, protection of critical fish areas, and monitoring. Study Area General The town of Lac La Biche, and the lake of the same name, are located approximately 220 km north east of Alberta s capital city, Edmonton, and approximately the same distance south of Fort McMurray (Figure 1). Lac La Biche is situated within the boreal mixed wood ecoregion which is characterized by high precipitation, and low evaporation rates (Crosby et al. 1990). The northern latitude of the lake results in fairly cool temperatures that limit the growth and productivity of its fish populations relative to more southern locations. The Town of Lac La Biche is located on the southern shore of the lake (54 o 46 N, 111 o 58 W) and the Hamlet of Plamondon is located on the western shore (54 o 51 N, 112 o 20 W). The lake can be divided into two main basins: east and west. The east basin has a maximum depth of 12.2 m and most of the lake s islands and bottom structure are located within this basin. The west basin is much deeper than the east basin with an average depth of 21.3 m. Page 1

There is relatively little bottom structure in this basin. For a detailed description of Lac La Biche and its watershed see Mitchell and Prepas (1990). For a detailed description of the lake s limnology see Schindler et al. (2008). Double-crested cormorant populations Double-crested cormorants have been nesting on the islands of Lac La Biche since at least 1919 (McGregor, unpublished data). Sporadic surveys over the last 100 years indicate low to moderate nesting populations on Pelican Island and High Island though the mid-1900s, with rapid growth occurring from the early 1980s (Figure 2). Since 2003, ESRD has been conducting annual nesting surveys at eleven colonies within a 45-km foraging radius of Lac La Biche (Table 1). The local nesting cormorant population size peaked in 2004/2005 at approximately 16,000 breeding birds but has since declined to approximately 2,500 individuals as a result of lethal management actions. For a detailed description of the local cormorant population and management actions see McGregor (2012). Lac La Biche Fisheries Lac La Biche supports thirteen native fish species (Table 2) and is currently free of exotic fish. Historically, lake whitefish and northern pike were the main subsistence food sources. In the early 20 th century, lake whitefish was harvested commercially and walleye became a highly desired recreational species (Johnson 1999). Following the introduction of mink (Neovison vison) ranching to the area in the 1930s, a small-mesh (2 ¾ to 3 stretched mesh) gill net fishery for cisco (Coregonus artedii) became popular (Champagne 1992). The cisco fishery removed large quantities of their target fish (over 1 million kg in 1946, 1964, 1968, 1969) (Paetz 1953, Scott 1976), but the small meshes were also effective at catching large yellow perch (Perca flavescens) (113,000 kg to 318,000 kg per year) (Valastin and Sullivan 1997) and small walleye and lake whitefish. In addition to recreational and commercial harvest, domestic subsistence netting was conducted by local First Nations communities. Due to the early collapses of lake whitefish and walleye, both species have been stocked in Lac la Biche. In 1936 and 1938, a combined total of 15 million lake whitefish eggs or fry was stocked (Fish and Wildlife Management Information System (FWMIS), ESRD, Edmonton, Alberta). This stocking was assumed to be unsuccessful based on the closure of the lake to lake whitefish harvest for most years between 1944 and 1951 (Paetz 1953). Walleye have also been stocked on numerous occasions in attempts to recover the population. Approximately 1.2 million walleye eggs and fry were stocked into the Owl River from 1968 to 1970, and an additional 65 million fry between 1995 and 1999 (Table 3). Between 1985 and 1994, 3.9 million summer fingerlings were stocked directly into Lac La Biche (Table 3). Based on a walleye status assessment conducted in 1998 by the Alberta Conservation Association, the majority of stocked fingerlings were removed by the commercial fishery between 1988 and 1994 (Patterson and Sullivan 1999). In 2003, walleye density was estimated at 0.12 adult walleye/ha (C. Davis, unpublished data). Another intensive stocking campaign was initiated in 2006 as part of the restoration program (see below). For a more detailed description of the historical development of the lakes fisheries see McGregor (2013) Page 2

Restoration Program Management Actions Commercial fishery reductions The inability to recover fish populations in Lac La Biche can be attributed, at least in part, to continued harvests by the commercial and sport fisheries (Brochure, Restoring Fish in Lac La Biche, Appendix A). As a result, in 2006 Fisheries Management Branch introduced more restrictive commercial harvest regulations, including changes to the season and quotas. Commercial regulation changes were intended to allow recovery of the lake whitefish population and facilitate the recovery of walleye and northern pike by decreasing harvest mortality on large individuals. The commercial gill net fishery for lake whitefish was restricted to an early summer fishery (from a summer and winter fishery) and the quota was reduced to 30,000 kg from 111,000 kg in 2005. Commercial tolerance limits for northern pike were reduced from 38,000 kg in 2004 to ~16,000 kg in 2005, then to only 500 kg in 2006. The walleye tolerance was decreased from 1,550 kg in 2005 to only 150 kg in 2006. A summary of the regulation changes is included in Appendix B. Annual harvests were monitored and assessed to determine the response of the fishery to both the regulation changes and ecosystem changes occurring between 2005 and 2013. Monitoring of Indian and Metis domestic netting was not part of the restoration program but the trend in license numbers was used to assess changes in subsistence netting pressure and potential harvest mortality during the process of fisheries recovery. Sportfishing reductions The existing catch-and-release regulation for walleye was considered sufficient to protect stocked fish and was maintained throughout the program. To further protect lake whitefish and northern pike and allow for population recovery, bag limits were decreased for both species and the minimum size limit for pike was increased. A summary of the regulation changes is included in Appendix B. In 2006, a summer creel survey was conducted to assess angling pressure and harvest mortality following the regulation change. Fisheries assessments have also been conducted each fall to monitor population changes. Walleye stocking In 2006, an intensive walleye stocking program was initiated to recover walleye dominance and create a self-sustaining, harvestable walleye population. Recovering walleye as the structuring predator in the lake was expected to shift the predominant foraging selection pressure towards smaller forage fish (namely yellow perch and cisco), resulting in a shift in size structure towards larger fish. To achieve this goal, large numbers of walleye fry were stocked to overwhelm their predators (primarily the abundant planktivorous stages of perch and cisco) and boost walleye recruitment to the population. Between 2006 and 2011, approximately 200 million fry, 122 thousand spring fingerlings, and 409 thousand fall fingerlings were stocked (Table 3). Stocked fish originated from spawning runs in three different systems (Primrose Lake 59%, Bistcho Lake 41%, and Lesser Slave Lake <1%) and fertilized eggs were hatched and raised to either an early fry, spring fingerling, or fall fingerling stage at the Cold Lake fish hatchery near Cold lake, Alberta. No stocking has occurred since 2011 to allow for an assessment of natural recruitment by mature fish from the earliest stocking years. Page 3

Cormorant control Cormorant management began in 2003, prior to the initiation of the Fisheries Restoration Program in 2005. Control was intended to decrease the overall cormorant population size to a level considered more reasonable for the area, ultimately resulting in a meaningful reduction in cormorant induced fish mortality and selective foraging pressure. In all years except 2004, some combination of egg oiling and culling adult birds was conducted on most of the major colonies around Lac La Biche (Table 4). Lethal control of cormorants was deemed necessary for reducing direct predation of cormorants on juvenile walleye, and for reducing predation on medium and large sized forage fish. Reducing size selective predation by cormorants on forage fish was expected to induce a shift in the fishes life history strategy to faster, early growth and a later age and larger size at reproduction. Initiating this switch was important for reducing predation on and competition with walleye fry by the abundant small, planktivorous stages of forage fish that are presumably being maintained through size-selective harvesting by cormorants. A detailed summary of cormorant management activities for every year is available from the ESRD office in Lac la Biche, Alberta. Protection of critical fish areas To protect critical walleye spawning locations and restore damaged habitats, the Owl River, other tributaries, and the lake outlet were all closed to fishing, and the Owl River bay out to Birch and Current Islands was closed to all net fishing. These closures were expected to benefit recovering populations of walleye, northern pike, and lake whitefish. Monitoring The combination of management actions was expected to result in the recovery of the walleye population and an increase in the overall size structure of the fish community (McGregor and Davis 2012). Fish populations were monitored annually using a standardized Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) protocol and population trends were used to assess the response of the fishery to management actions. Results from the annual FWIN surveys have been summarized by McGregor (2014a). Restoration Program Management Results Commercial fishery reductions Since the new regulations were implemented in 2006, commercial harvesters only came close to their lake whitefish quota in 2007 when they harvested ~27,600 kg (92% of quota) (Figure 3a,b). For most years, harvest was between 30% and 60% of quota. In 2011 and 2012, harvest dropped to 11% of quota (~3,300 kg harvested) and 2013 harvest was only 2% of quota (720 kg). Between 2006 and 2010, northern pike by-catch ranged between 91% and 110% of tolerance (450 kg to 650 kg harvested) (Figure 4a,b), but the percent of tolerance harvested dropped 33% in 2011, and 2% and 5% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Prior to 2011, walleye bycatch ranged from 0% to 33% of tolerance (<50 kg harvested) (Figure 5a,b). In 2011 and 2012, walleye harvest hit tolerance (96% - 240 kg and 98% - 489 kg, respectively) and in 2013 harvest was 256% of tolerance (1,278 kg harvested). Page 4

The total number of Indian and Metis domestic netting licenses issued for Lac La Biche has increased from 102 licenses in 2005 to 122 licenses in 2012. In all years, Metis domestic licenses accounted for between 69% and 83% of total license sales. Indian licenses fluctuated between 12 and 17 licenses over most of the period, increasing abruptly to 38 licenses in 2012 (Figure 6). Metis domestic licenses were stable at approximately 50 licenses between 2006 and 2010, but increased to over 80 licenses issued in 2012 (Figure 6). The domestic licensing season for 2013 is not yet complete so accurate data were not available for comparison. Sport fishery regulations In 2006, sport fishing bag limits were decreased for northern pike from three fish over 63 cm total length to one fish over 75 cm and for lake whitefish from 10 fish of any size to three any size. Yellow perch remained at 15 fish any size, and walleye stayed as a catch-and-release regulation. Angler effort was assessed in 2006 through a creel survey but the data have not yet been analyzed. Abundance estimates from annual FWIN surveys suggest northern pike catch-per-uniteffort (CPUE: fish 100m -2 24h -1 ) was variable but showed a strongly increasing trend from 1.98 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2005 to 5.13 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2012, but declining in 2013 to 3.19 fish 100m -2 24h -1 (Figure 7). Pike biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE: kg 100m -2 24h -1 ) showed a similar trend, almost tripling during the same period (4.31 kg 100m -2 24h -1 in 2005 to 11.77 kg 100m -2 24h -1 in 2012), but declining in 2013 (7.02 kg 100m -2 24h -1 ) (Figure 7). There was no apparent change in the size structure of the pike population between 2005 and 2013 (Figure 8). Walleye stocking FWIN results suggest both the CPUE and BPUE for walleye increased rapidly as a direct result of stocking activities. Walleye CPUE increased steadily from 0.09 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2005, to 18.35 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2011, followed by declines in 2012 and 2013 to 14.32 fish 100m -2 24h -1 (Figure 9). Walleye BPUE increased consistently from 0.23 kg 100m -2 24h -1 in 2005 to 18.86 in 2012 kg 100m -2 24h -1, declining slightly to 16.5 kg 100m -2 24h -1 in 2013 (Figure 9). The CPUE of catchable sized walleye (>350 mm TL) increased consistently from 0.09 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2005 to 13.3 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2012, declining slightly to 11.1 fish 100m -2 24h -1 in 2013 (Figure 10). Stocking generally resulted in strong walleye year classes (CPUE 3.0 fish 100m -2 24h - 1 ) in 2006 and 2009, and moderate year classes (CPUE 1.0 fish 100m -2 24h -1 and 2.9 fish 100m -2 24h -1 ) in 2007, 2011, and 2013 (based on 2012 results) (Figure 11). Between 2012 and 2013, CPUE for the 2006 year class dropped 39% from 5.22 fish 100m -2 24h -1 to 3.18 fish 100m -2 24h -1, and the 2007 year class dropped 34% from 1.16 fish 100m -2 24h -1 to 0.77 fish 100m -2 24h -1. Poor survival of stocked fry was documented for 2008, 2010 and the years prior to stocking. Natural recruitment was poor in 2012 and moderate in 2013 after walleye stocking was discontinued. Length-at-maturity and age-at-maturity are still indicative of a collapsed population according to the population status classification chart in Alberta s Walleye Recovery Plan (Sullivan 2003) (Table 5). Cormorant control Since cormorant management started in 2003, the number of nests has decreased from 6,844 to less than 1,400 nests in 2013 (Table 6). Nest numbers on the five managed colonies Page 5

declined 83% between 2003 and 2013 (Figure 12), and nests on non-managed colonies declined 31% over the same period (Figure 13). Over the ten years of active cormorant management, 30,444 nests were sterilized through egg oiling and 8,143 birds (mostly adults) were culled (Table 6). A model of cormorant consumption estimated over 2.2 million kg of fish were consumed during the 2005 breeding season (McGregor and Davis 2012). In 2013, the total estimated consumption was reduced to approximately 180,000 kg (McGregor, unpublished data). Cormorant diet composition data were collected each summer between 2005 and 2012 but data analysis has not yet been completed. Protection of critical fish areas No data are available for directly assessing results from this component of the management program. Monitoring The outcome of combined management efforts can be assessed through annual trends in the fish population as determined through the analysis of fall walleye index netting (FWIN) data (see McGregor 2014a for a summary). Improvements in the size structure of the fish community were assessed through changes in the abundance of predators (walleye, pike, burbot), prey (cisco, suckers, spottail shiners, sticklebacks, troutperch), and omnivores (perch and whitefish), and through comparison of length distribution frequency histograms from 2005 and 2013 FWINs and boxplots of annual length by species and their medians. Generally, abundance increased for predators and omnivores, and decreased for prey groups (Figure 14). Population size structure for yellow perch, and lake whitefish suggests an increase in the abundance of large fish in 2013 compared to 2005, as well as a notable spikes in recruitment in 2013. Cisco and white suckers also showed recruitment spikes in 2013, but overall, cisco abundance remained similar to 2005 and sucker abundance was still notably lower. Pike size structure was consistent between years, generally with more fish at all sizes. Other data were collected either as part of the restoration program or to complement the program; fish diet data are currently being analysed by students of MacEwan University. Thus far, the program has produced one doctoral dissertation, four peer-reviewed articles, nine cormorant management annual reports, two hydroacoustics reports, one fisheries summary report, one FWIN report, one popular magazine article, and numerous newspaper articles. Cormorant diet (2005-2012) data are awaiting analysis and Lac La Biche fish diet (2009-2013) samples are being processed and analyzed by a researcher at MacEwan University. Fish diet work should be completed by spring, 2017. Discussion The objectives of the Lac La Biche fisheries restoration program were to recover the walleye population and improve the overall size structure of the fish community. These objectives were approached through a field program focused on walleye stocking, cormorant management, habitat protection, and changes to commercial and recreational fishing regulations. Within the social and ecological context for the program, the efficacy of the management actions Page 6

was assessed by examining short term changes in the cormorant population and the fish community, as well as the response of commercial, subsistence, and recreational fishers. Fisher response to the recovering walleye population has been as expected. Conservative tolerances for walleye (and pike) in the commercial lake whitefish fishery were very quickly exceeded and the fishery closed with only a small proportion of the whitefish quota harvested. Based on increased license sales since 2006, domestic harvest appears to be responding to the improvements in the fishery. There is currently no information on how increased domestic harvest affects the mortality of species such as walleye, pike, and whitefish. More direct monitoring of the quantity and composition of domestic harvests is advised to help ensure availability of the best possible estimates of total harvest mortality for use in management assessment and evaluation. Angler effort response has not been formally surveyed since 2006; however, anecdotal evidence suggests qualitative information gained through observation of boat launch use and discussions with local and visiting anglers suggests growing use by sport anglers targeting walleye, pike, and perch. Walleye fishing has reportedly been very good and people are enjoying increased angling opportunity. Under the current catch-and-release regulation for walleye, anecdotal reports suggest some degree of illegal harvest has been occurring. Recreational fishing mortality (incidental and harvest) can be significant to a recovering population, especially if the angler effort response continues to increase. The large decline in the contribution of the 2006 and 2007 year classes to the overall walleye CPUE corresponds to a reduction of fish ranging from 450 mm TL to 650 mm TL. A combination of hooking mortality, illegal recreational harvest, and domestic and commercial netting could account for the reduction in walleye of this size. Creel and domestic netting surveys (summer and winter) are advised so that angler effort and potential mortality can be better understood. Increasing enforcement presence may also result in reducing mortality in the form of illegal recreational harvest. The combination of egg oiling and culling was effective at reducing the number of cormorants nesting on islands around Lac la Biche. Culling was very effective at achieving population reduction by directly and immediately decreasing the breeding cormorant population size and reducing the number of fish consumed. Egg oiling resulted in a large and immediate reduction in fish that would have been consumed by hatchlings, and it added to the long term population decline by minimizing recruitment to the breeding population; however, population reduction takes longer with this strategy (McGregor and Davis 2012). It is likely that egg oiling will be necessary as an on-going management strategy to maintain the cormorant population at its current size. Cormorant management can have unintended consequences on co-nesting and other bird species. Breeding American White Pelicans have increased in the area since cormorant management began in 2003. Though we are not able to attribute a cause to the increase, greater availability of nesting space as cormorant numbers decline, combined with improvements in available fish resources, are likely contributors. Pelicans have been observed fishing on the rapids of the Owl River during the walleye and sucker spawning season. Increased predation mortality caused by the growing pelican populations could have a direct impact on the walleye population. Declines in the white sucker population in recent years might be the result of increasing predation mortality by pelicans (McGregor 2014b). Disturbance to gulls generally did not result in noticeable population changes but culling activities and continual disturbance on Page 7

colonies with great blue herons (High Island) could be the cause of colony abandonment. Other colonial species of waterbirds were not monitored as part of this program but the survival and productivity of these populations could be affected by changes in the fishery, especially the availability of small fish. Monitoring should be continued to document changes in colonial waterbird populations. We were able to produce enough walleye fry/fingerlings within the hatchery system to successfully stock a large lake for restoration purposes. Stocked walleye have recruited into the ecosystem and multiple year classes appear to be thriving. Adult walleye density has drastically increased as a result of stocking though walleye CPUE has been in decline since 2011. Stocking did not occur after 2011, so the decline likely reflects the loss of a pulse of stocked fish in both years. In addition, increased domestic harvest, large mortality in the commercial harvest, and illegal recreational harvest likely account for much of the decline in harvestable sized walleye (>328 mm FL) (see McGregor 2014a) in 2013. Though there were signs of natural recruitment in both 2012 and 2013, we cannot yet comment on the establishment of a self-sustaining population. Monitoring of the components of productivity (fecundity, mortality, immigration and emigration) for the age-structured population are required to fully assess potential productivity of the stocked walleye population and the likelihood of long-term recovery. We should not rely fully on current production values to describe the walleye population because annual stocking has prevented the establishment of meaningful relationships between stock size and population processes like growth, mortality, or reproduction (Rose et al. 2001). Recently stocked walleye originate from a number of different parent populations from three different watersheds (Beaver River, La Biche, and Liard-Petitot). The success of different genetic strains of walleye in the system is currently unknown. Once walleye recovery is complete and stocked fish are recruiting naturally to the system, it would be valuable to assess the genetic composition of walleye to determine the relative fitness of individual strains and their hybrids. The fish community response to the combined management actions was assessed through annual fall walleye index netting (FWIN) assessments (see McGregor 2014a). The change in fish populations can be summarized by increasing trends in pike and perch, and either declining trends or stability in soft-bodied species such as coregonids and suckers. Within the overall species trends, there was a large amount of annual variability and most CPUE s changed similarly by year. The commonality of the annual changes suggests that large-scale, environmental variables might play a major role in determining fish population dynamics that overshadows the contribution of management actions. The overall size structure of the fish community has generally increased as more fish occupy the larger size classes. Notable changes occurred in the size distributions of perch, cisco, and lake whitefish after 2009 but further study is required to assess the consistency and cause of the changes. The abundance of forage fish, including yellow perch, cisco, and spottail shiners, increased over the last nine years, driven almost exclusively by an increase in the abundance of perch. In 2013, perch CPUE increased to its largest documented value of the last nine years, driven largely by phenomenal young-of-theyear recruitment. Annual monitoring of this trend will be critical for improving our understanding of the dynamic relationship between perch and walleye at Lac la Biche, and for increasing our general knowledge of perch productivity and age-structured population dynamics. Page 8

Management Considerations Determining the success of the restoration program will require a holistic approach to long-term monitoring of the aquatic ecosystem and the disturbances that threaten its stability. Annual monitoring of the fisheries (FWIN) is recommended to maintain the long-term dataset that will allow assessment of changes in species composition and abundance during the restoration process. In addition, cormorants and their co-nesting species should be monitored to document changes in population size or productivity as the fishery changes. Cormorant management will likely be required for an indefinite amount of time as the abundant yellow perch population continues to provide a seasonal forage base to support successful breeding of large populations of waterbirds. One of the largest threats to program success moving forward is overharvest of the walleye population during a critical recovery period. Currently, the walleye population is classified as collapsed based on the criteria in Alberta s Walleye Recovery Plan. Given this classification the proposed management action is to maintain a catch and release fishery. Morality resulting from the combination of domestic commercial harvest and illegal recreational harvest needs to be better understood to determine if there is a threat to the continued recovery of the walleye population. Additionally, uncertainty around the potential productivity of stocked fish originating from outside of the Athabasca watershed, and the strength of bottom-up dynamics arising from human-induced increases in lake productivity, could threaten the successful recovery of the walleye population and restoration of the fish community. Future research should focus on quantifying mortality associated with the commercial, domestic, and recreational harvest, assessing the success of different genetic strains of walleye and partnering with the Lac La Biche County to monitor water quality, lake productivity, and benthic invertebrate production. Page 9

Literature cited Berry, D.K. 1995. Alberta s walleye management and recovery plan. Number T/310, Alberta Environment Protection, Natural Resources Service, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 32 p. Champagne, J. 1992. Mission Notre Dame des Victoires, Lac la Biche. Interpretive matrix and narrative history. Lac La Biche Mission and Historic Sites Services, Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism, Lac la Biche, AB. Crosby, J.M., M.E. Bradford, P.A. Mitchell, E.E. Prepas, L.G. McIntyre, L. Hart Buckland- Nicks, and J.M. Hanson. 1990. Atlas of Alberta Lakes. P. Mitchell, E. Prepas [eds.]. The University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, Alberta. 675 pp. Johnson, G.A. 1999. Lac La Biche Chronicles: The Early Years. Portage College, Lac la Biche, AB. McGregor, A.M. 2012. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) monitoring and management in Lac La Biche, Alberta: 2012 Annual summary. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division. Edmonton, AB. 37 pp. McGregor, A.M. 2013. Fish harvest and the replacement of top piscivorous predators in aquatic food webs: implications for restoration and fisheries management. PhD Dissertation. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. McGregor, A.M. 2014a. Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program: Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) Results, 2005 to 2012. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, Alberta. McGregor, A.M. 2014b. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) monitoring and management in Lac La Biche, Alberta: 2013 Annual summary. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division. Edmonton, AB. McGregor, A.M., and C.L. Davis. 2012. Cost effectivenss of egg oiling versus culling for reducing fish consumption by double-crested cormorants in Lac la Biche, Alberta. Waterbirds 35(sp 1): 66-76. Miranda, L.E., and P. W. Bettoli. 2007. Mortality. In Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fishereis Data, C.S. Guy and M.L. Brown, eds. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda< MA, USA. Mitchell, P. and E. Prepas [eds.]. 1990. Atlas of Alberta Lakes. The University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, Alberta, 675pp. Nelson, J.S., and M.J. Paetz. 1992. The Fishes of Alberta. The University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, AB. 437 pp. Page 10

Rose, K.A., J.H. Cowan, Jr., K.O. Winemiller, R.A. Myers, and R. Hilborn. 2001. Compensatory density dependence in fish populations: importance, controversy, understanding and prognosis. Fish and Fisheries 2: 293-327. Schindler, D.W., A.P. Wolfe, R. Vinebrooke, A. Crowe, J.M. Blais, B. Miskimmin, R. Freed, and B. Perren. 2008. The cultural eutrophication of Lac la Biche, Alberta, Canada: a paleoecological study. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65: 2211-2223. Scott, C.W. 1976. Commercial fisheries catch statistics for Alberta, 1942-1975. (Fisheries Management Report #22). Alberta Recreation, Parks, and Wildlife, Edmonton, AB. Valastin, P., and M. Sullivan. 1997. A Historical Survey of the Sport Fisheries in Northeastern Alberta: Lac La Biche, from 1920 to 1975. Alberta Environmental Protection, Edmonton, AB. Page 11

Table 1. UTM coordinates for all known cormorant colonies (active or otherwise) in the Lac La Biche Area. Coordinates are all in Zone 12 and were derived using the Alberta Government Internet Mapping Framework 2009. For two of the colonies, nests are spread across two adjacent islands. Locations for both are provided, but counts are combined as the colonies are very close together so population dynamics are considered to apply to both simultaneously. For these cases, the primary colony is listed first. UTM Coordinates Easting Northing Antoine Lake 430259 6069452 Beaver Lake E 449483 6060141 Beaver Lake W 444196 6063954 High Island 430278 6079382 Kerr Lake 430714 6041692 Lone Pine Lk 430282 6032010 Noral Lake 410387 6054469 Otter Lake 453735 6108078 Pelican Island 436457 6077816 Portage Lake Whitefish Lake 432598 438894 6090954 6024686 Table 2. Common and Latin names for all fish species known to occur within Lac la Biche. Common name (Latin name ) Walleye (Sander vitreus ) Northern pike (Esox lucius ) Yellow perch (Perca flavescens ) Cisco (Coregonus artedii ) Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis ) Burbot (Lota lota ) White sucker (Catostomus commersoni ) Longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus ) Ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius ) Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans ) Spottail shiners (Notropis hudsonius ) Trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus ) Iowa darters (Etheostoma exile ) Page 12

Table 3. Summary of walleye stocking events for Lac La Biche including stocking year, number of walleye stocked, stage of walleye stocked (eggs, fry, fingerlings, adults), and the source of the stocked fish. Year Number Stage Source Owl River 1968 150,000 Eggs Historic (unknown) 1969 560,000 Eggs Historic (unknown) 1970 500,000 Fry Historic (unknown) SUBTOTAL 1,210,000 1995 14,627,000 Fry Primrose Lake 1996 14,005,000 Fry Primrose Lake 1997 18,567,000 Fry Primrose Lake (12.7 M), Historic (5.9 M) 1998 17,255,000 Fry Primrose Lake 1999 500,000 Fry Primrose Lake SUBTOTAL 64,948,000 Lac La Biche 1985 3,680 Summer Fingerling 1986 522,700 Summer Fingerling Historic (unknown) 1987 511,900 Summer Fingerling Historic (unknown) 1988 1,132,000 Summer Fingerling Historic (unknown) 1990 463,000 Summer Fingerling Lesser Slave Lake 1991 60,600 Summer Fingerling Historic (unknown) 1992 1,198,000 Summer Fingerling Bistcho Lake 1994 1,100 Summer Fingerling Bistcho Lake SUBTOTAL 3,892,980 2006 21,928,000 Fry Primrose Lake (21.6 M), Lesser Slave Lake (0.3 M) 2007 44,979,000 Fry Primrose Lake (21 M), Bistcho Lake (24 M) 2007 125,000 Fall Fingerling Primrose Lake (25 K), Bistcho Lake (100 K) 2008 38,234,050 Fry Primrose Lake (13.6 M), Bistcho Lake (24.6 M) 2008 115,821 Fall Fingerling Primrose Lake 2009 51,996,000 Fry Primrose Lake (18.4 M), Bistcho Lake (33.6 M) 2009 35,552 Summer Fingerling Primrose Lake 2009 54,884 Fall Fingerling Primrose Lake 2010 16,199,000 Fry Primrose Lake 2010 14,303 Summer Fingerling Primrose Lake 2010 78,802 Fall Fingerling Primrose Lake 2011 24,802,950 Fry Primrose Lake 2011 71,821 Summer Fingerling Primrose Lake 2011 34,678 Fall Fingerling Primrose Lake SUBTOTAL 198,139,000 Fry Primrose (115.6 M), Bistcho (82.2 M), LSL (0.3 M) SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 121,676 409,185 Summer Fingerling Fall Fingerling Primrose Lake Primrose Lake (684 K), Bistcho Lake (100 K) Page 13

Table 4. Overview of the name, lake area, predominant nest type, and annual management treatment for each of the eleven Doublecrested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) colonies included in this study. The two management treatments are referred to as egg oiling or culling. Blanks indicate that no management treatment was applied. Year Colony Name Lake Area (ha) Nest Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Antoine 327 Ground Egg oiling Culling Egg oiling Culling Egg oiling Culling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Culling Egg Oiling Culling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Beaver - East 3,784 Ground Egg Oiling Beaver - West 3,784 Ground Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling High (Lac La Biche) 22,274 Ground Kerr 243 Ground Lonepine 198 Tree Noral 77 Tree Otter 105 Tree Egg oiling Egg oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Culling Pelican (Lac La Biche) 22,274 Ground Egg oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Portage 237 Ground Egg oiling Egg oiling Egg oiling Egg oiling Egg oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Egg Oiling Culling Culling Cul g Culling Culling Culling Whitefish 3,092 Tree Egg Oiling Page 14

Table 5. Criteria for classifying the status of walleye fisheries, modified for FWIN analysis (from Sullivan 2003). POPULATION METRIC POPULATION STATUS CLASSIFICATION TROPHY STABLE VULNERABLE COLLAPSED CATCH RATE (FWIN) High - >30 walleye 100m -2 24h -1 High - >30 walleye 100m -2 24h -1 Moderate: 15-30 walleye 100m -2 24h -1 Low: <15 walleye 100m -2 24h -1 CPUE = 14.32 AGE CLASS DISTRIBUTION AGE CLASS STABILITY AGE AT MATURITY Wide: 8 or more age classes (n=200); mean age >9 years. Very stable: 1 to 2 "measureable" (> 3 walleye 100m -2 24h -1 ) age classes out of a smooth catch curve. Females: 10-20 years Males: 10-16 years Wide: 8 or more age classes (n=200); mean age 6 to 9 years. 7 age classe s (n=162); me an age = 4.2 ye ars. Relatively stable: 2 to 3 "measureable" age classes out of a smooth catch curve. Females: 8-10 years Males: 7-9 years Narrow: 1 to 3 age classes; mean age 4 to 6 years; few old (>10 years). Unstable: 1 to 3 "measureable" age classes, with gaps in age classes. 2 me asurable age classe s in 2006, 2009 (CPUE>3.0) with fe w gaps in distribution Females: 7-8 years Males: 5-7 years Can be wide or narrow; mean age 6 to 10 years. Stable or unstable: 1 or fewer "measurable" age classes. Females: 4-7 years Males:3-6 years LENGTH AT AGE Very Slow 50 cm in 12-15 years Slow 50 cm in 9-12 years Moderate 50 cm in 7-9 years Fe male s fully re cruite d at age 5; male s fully re cruite d at age 5. Fast 50 cm in 4-7 years Fe male s re ach 50 cm at age 5; male s re ach 50 cm at age 5; poole d re ach 50 cm at age 5. Page 15

Table 6. Summary of the number of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) nests available for control and the actual number of adult birds culled and nests oiled during the breeding season on all managed colonies within a 45- km radius of Lac la Biche. Colony 2003 2004 2005* 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Antoine 2,344 2,339 2,425 1,077 577 96 282 291 318 329 145 Beaver - East 13 46 51 33 81 90 169 280 397 406 482 Beaver - West 0 0 0 0 95 124 54 81 0 55 0 High 2,300 3,417 3,359 3,839 2,807 2,470 2,061 2,409 1,531 0 0 Kerr 76 76 68 31 0 0 - - 4 0 Unk. Lonepine 0 0 0 0 24 67 11 0 0 0 Unk. Noral 47 70 34 59 43 45 49 0 14 19 Unk. Otter - 10 0 8 9 63 40 28 53 64 Unk. Pelican 284 119 70 13 235 62 35 6 1 0 49 Portage 1,526 1,842 2,105 721 570 534 283 142 307 472 405 Whitefish 254 200 165 224 244 143 169 173 189 177 169 Total nests 6,844 8,119 8,277 6,005 4,685 3,694 3,153 3,410 2,814 1,522 1,250 No. nests oiled 2,843 0 4,513 5,994 4,189 3,157 2,715 2,939 2,157 856 1,081 No. adults culled 0 0 861 3,185 1,044 621 548 244 1,640 0 0 *2005 nest count s occurred lat e in t he season aft er t he peak nest ing period and may underrepresent t he t he t rue colony size. Nest count est imat ed from aerial phot ograph. Page 16

Figure 1. Map of the Province of Alberta indicating the approximate location of Lac la Biche. Inset map shows the shape of the lake and the location of the town on Lac La Biche on the southern tip of the lake. Page 17

Cormorant nest ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year Figure 2. Change in Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) population over time as indexed from nest counts on surveyed colonies within a 45-km radius of Lac la Biche. Page 18

Kg per net Harvest (kg) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Number nets lifted 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 a) 120000 100000 Estimated Harvest Quota Limit 80000 b) 60000 40000 20000 0 150 2500 120 Year Kg/Net Nets Lifted 90 1500 60 1000 2000 30 500 0 0 Year Figure 3. Commercial harvest data for Lac La Biche showing a) the annual estimated commercial harvests (kg) and harvest quotas, and b) the number of nets lifted and the harvest per net (kg) from for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). Page 19

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Kg per net Number nets lifted 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Kilograms ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, a) 18000 16000 14000 Estimated Harvest Tolerance Limit 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 b) 0 10 8 2005 2005 Year 2500 Kg/Net Nets Lifted 2000 6 1500 4 1000 2 500 0 0 Year Page 20

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Kilograms ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, Figure 4. Commercial harvest data for Lac La Biche showing a) the annual estimated commercial harvests (kg) and tolerance limits, and b) the number of nets lifted and the harvest per net (kg) from for northern pike (Esox lucius). a) 1800 1600 1400 Estimated Harvest Tolerance Limit 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Year b) Page 21

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Kg per net Number nets lifted ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 128 kg/ne 15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 Kg/Net Nets Lifted 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Year Figure 5. Commercial harvest data for Lac La Biche showing a) the annual estimated commercial harvests (kg) and tolerance limits, and b) the number of nets lifted and the harvest per net (kg) from for walleye (Sander vitreus). Page 22

No. of license ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 140 120 100 80 60 Indian Metis Total 40 20 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Year Figure 6. Trends in the number of Indian, Metis, and total (Indian and Metis) domestic licenses sold for Lac La Biche between 2003 and 2012. Data for 2013 are not complete and were excluded. Page 23

CUE (fish 100m-2 24h-1) CPUE (fish 100m-2 24h -1 ) BPUE (kg 100m-2 24h -1 ) ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 6.00 14.00 5.00 12.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 1.00 0.00 CPUE BPUE 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2.00 0.00 Year Figure 7. Trends in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; fish 100m -2 24hr -1 ) and biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE; kg 100m -2 24hr -1 ) of all northern pike (Esox lucius) captured during fall walleye index netting conducted at Lac La Biche between 2005 and 2013. 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 2005 2013 0.05 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 Fork length (mm) Figure 8. Total length distributions for all northern pike (Esox lucius) captured during fall walleye index netting at the start of the program in 2005 and during the last year of survey (2013). Overlapping distributions highlight the size structure of each fish community over the nine years Lac La Biche Fishery Restoration Program. Page 24

CPUE (fish 100m -2 24h -1 ) CPUE (fish 100m-2 24h -1 ) BPUE (kg 100m-2 24h -1 ) 20.00 18.00 20.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 CPUE BPUE 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year 16.00 14.00 12.00 10.00 Figure 9. Trends in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; fish 100m -2 24hr -1 ) and biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE; kg 100m -2 24hr -1 ) of all walleye (Sander vitreus) captured during fall walleye index netting conducted at Lac La Biche between 2005 and 2013. Walleye were stocked in Lac La Biche between 2006 and 2011. 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 Year Figure 10. Trend in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; fish 100m -2 24hr -1 ) of catchable sized walleye (Sander vitreus) (>328 mm FL) walleye captured during fall walleye index netting conducted between 2005 and 2013. Walleye were stocked in Lac La Biche between 2006 and 2011. Page 25

Frequency ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Total length (mm) 1998: CPUE=0.05 2001; CPUE=0.05 2003; CPUE=0.00 2005; CPUE=0.10 2006; CPUE=3.18 2007; CPUE=0.77 2008; CPUE=0.48 2009; CPUE=6.07 2010; CPUE=0.43 2011; CPUE=1.30 2012; CPUE=0.00 2013; CPUE=1.88 Figure 11. WALL Total length frequency by year class in the 2013 FWIN. CPUE for each year class is represented as the annual CPUE contribution to the total 2013 10-panel CPUE of 14.32 fish 100m -2 24hr -1. Page 26

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 # of Nests ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 4500 4000 3500 Antoine High Portage Pelican Beaver - E&W 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Survey Year Figure 12. Change in the number of cormorant nests counted on the five managed colonies between 2003 and 2013. Page 27

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 # of Nests ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 300 200 Kerr Noral Otter Whitefish Lonepine 100 0 Survey Year Figure 13. Change in the number of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) nests counted on the five surveyed colonies between 2003 and 2013. Page 28

BRST CISC LNSC NNST SPSH TRPR WHSC WALL NRPK YLPR BURB LKWH Abundance (CPUE) ESRD/Lac La Biche Fisheries Restoration Program Summary Report, 275 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0 2005-2008 2009-2013 Species Figure 14. Comparison of average fish species abundances (CPUE; fish 100m -2 24hr -1 ) in Lac La Biche for two different time periods: 2005-2008 and 2009-2013. Page 29

Appendices Appendix A. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (2005) brochure describing the Lac La Biche Fishery Restoration Program and objectives. Page 30

Page 31