Project-Based Work October 29, 2019
Many governments around the world regulate the size (and number) of fish that can be harvested from fisheries, in order to protect populations and spawning stocks.
We call this practice “size-based management.”
Over the next 30 years, we are going to explore how size-based management of lake trout—commonly harvested in Canadian fisheries—could actually be affecting how they evolve.
Is regulating the size of fish harvesting actually resulting in smaller fish?
What impact does that have on the fish populations as a whole?
And what role is climate change playing?
Starting in 2018, we have been scouting IISD Experimental Lakes Area for suitable lakes and have been making multiple preparations for this long-term study.
This research project involves the participation of multiple partners from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the University of Toronto, the University of St. Andrews (UK), Lakehead University, Trent University and the University of Manitoba.