Anglers Asked to Take Extra Care to Minimize Stress to Fish During Drought:
Fish Kill Hotline Established
Calgary - Concerns about hot and dry conditions in southern Alberta are prompting Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) to ask
anglers to take extra care when planning fishing trips or handling fish. TUC has also established a ‘Fish Kill Hotline’ to help
anglers and other recreationists who enjoy Alberta’s river and streams to report any signs of fish kills they come across.
“Just like crops and gardens, fish are also affected by droughts”, says Tony Blake, TUC’s Alberta Council President. “In
order to protect fish populations from overharvest, regulations often require anglers to release most of the fish they catch.
However, when we encounter low flows and warm water conditions, captured fish may be dangerously exhausted by the
time they are brought to hand. TUC wants anglers to realize that they need to take extra precautions during periods of high
water temperature when they are releasing fish back to the water.”
Dr. Bill MacKay, Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta, worked with TUC to develop some tips for angling during
low flow and warm water conditions. He says, “Anglers don’t have to stop fishing, but by planning ahead and taking a few
extra precautions they can minimize stress to trout and whitefish that they catch and release. Some of the things they can do
include: avoiding streams and rivers where warm temperatures are common, planning on fishing in the morning when air and
water temperatures are coolest, and minimizing their handling of fish as much as possible.”
MacKay explained how fish are affected by water temperatures, “The optimum temperature for most trout is 15 oC, and
their lethal temperature is around 24.5 oC . As water temperatures warm and approach their lethal temperatures, trout
experience increasing stress because their oxygen requirements increase but the amount of oxygen the water will hold
decreases. Capturing fish further increases oxygen demands adding further stress to the fish.”
Blake added, “South of the border, the state of Montana is also experiencing drought conditions,and they have already
closed some trout fisheries to angling this summer. These temporary closures have been widely supported by the angling
community in Montana. Although similar closures may also become necessary in Alberta, we hope responsible anglers will
voluntarily adapt their fishing practices when hot weather and low streamflows become a problem.”
Kerry Brewin, TUC’s Provincial Biologist, explained that Montana’s experience was helpful in other ways. “Montana Fish,
Wildlife and Parks have been developing criteria for managing trout fisheries during drought conditions for several years. The
23o C, or 73.5o F, water temperature that TUC is recommending that anglers voluntarily refrain from angling mirrors the
criteria used in Montana.”
In addition to asking anglers to take these voluntary measures, TUC is asking Alberta Environment to come up with a better
system to detect harmful temperature extremes. Blake explains, "Many
trout waters in southern Alberta are subject to significant water withdrawals during the summer months. The impacts on fish
of artificially low flows cannot be mitigated unless stream temperatures are closely monitored."
In order to give anglers and other outdoor recreationists an opportunity to help monitor the health of Alberta's rivers, TUC
has established a toll-free 'Fish Kill Hotline'. The Hotline provides a relatively easy way for anyone noticing dead and dying
fish to report the problem. By calling 1-866-FSH-KILL, people can get all the information they need to report a fish kill to
the appropriate regulatory agencies.
“We want to make sure that the proper regulatory agencies investigate and determine the causes of a fish kill," said Blake.
"Although reporting a fish kill after it happens may not seem important, people shouldn't assume that the incident has already
been reported and investigated. Their report may be very useful in preventing future fish kills."
Brewin added “With so many people angling, hiking and paddling along our rivers and streams during the summer, these
outdoor enthusiasts are often the first people to see a fish kill or notice other water quality or fish habitat problems. By
reporting their observations to the authorities, they can provide resource managers with valuable early-warning signs about
the health of our rivers and streams.”
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Trout Unlimited Canada is a national not-for-profit conservation organization that is dedicated to the conservation and wise
use of Canada's coldwater resources through the undertaking of habitat restoration, research, management and public
education. It has members and chapters across Canada and has been in existence for 29 years.
For more information contact:
Tony Blake, President, Alberta Council, Trout Unlimited Canada, Ph: 403-346-7379
Dr. Bill MacKay, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta, Ph: 403-227-3563
Kerry Brewin, Alberta Council Manager/Biologist, Trout Unlimited Canada, Ph: 403-221-8369
BACKGROUNDER
All Users Need to Minimize Their Impacts on Alberta’s Rivers and Streams
Like crops and gardens, Alberta’s coldwater resources are also affected by drought conditions. Although our trout and
whitefish species have evolved with periodic drought conditions and their populations can recover after droughts, efforts are
needed to minimize the additional impacts caused by human activities. If corrective actions are not taken, these activities can
increase the frequency and severity of drought conditions on fish. For example, when water diversions occur and efforts are
not taken to insure sufficient flows remain in a river to make sure that its ecology is properly protected, the time it takes for
fish populations to recover from the drought conditions can be increased.
Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) believes all user groups need to take precautions to minimize the impacts of their activities
during drought conditions. With this in mind, TUC has developed some tips for anglers during the 2001 drought. The
voluntary changes anglers make to help conserve fish populations this summer should help provide improved angling
opportunities in the future.
Tips for Anglers
1) Anglers are encouraged to fish in the morning when air and water temperatures are coolest. They should avoid fishing in
the afternoon and evening when river and stream temperatures are highest. They should also avoid fishing at night - this is
when dissolved oxygen levels on some rivers (e.g., lower Highwood River below High River) can be at their lowest levels.
2) Anglers should carry a thermometer with them when fishing this summer. It will help them avoid streams where low flows
and high water temperatures pose problems to trout and whitefish. Anglers are encouraged to explore smaller, high-elevation
streams and lakes where water temperatures are likely to be cooler. Although 23o C (73.5o F) is the water temperature that
anglers who are releasing fish are being asked to stop angling, we also hope many people fishing for trout will stop angling
before water temperatures get this warm.
3) Anglers should always be diligent about minimizing the stress they place on caught fish, but more diligence is needed
during warm water conditions. Some of the things they should do include:
i) As much as possible, avoid direct handling of fish and release fish as quickly as possible;
ii) Avoid holding fish out of water and pass on taking photographs of fish during warm spells;
iii) Land fish quickly once they are hooked and minimize playing time for hooked fish; and
iv) Wet hands before attempting to remove the hook, and take care not to touch the gills of fish being released.
4) Anglers should report any fish kills they see immediately by calling the ‘Fish Kill Hotline’ at 1-866-FSH-KILL. The ‘Fish
Kill Hotline’ will provide contact information for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (Fish and Wildlife Service), and
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The information that you should attempt to provide includes:
i) the date and time when you observed the fish kill;
ii) the waterbody and location of the fish kill so that investigators can pinpoint the location and extent of the fish kill;
iii) the species (if known) and approximate numbers and size classes of dead fish that were observed;
iv) your name and contact information (e.g., phone and address);
v) the temperature of the water (if possible) and any other additional comments you think may be relevant (e.g., noticeable
smells, did any fish have visible tears or lesions, what was the behaviour of any live fish you may have seen - were they
gasping?); and
vi) info about any photographs that may have been taken.
TUC is not recommending that the public handle dead fish they find in streams or collect samples.
6) Anglers should take extra precautions when fishing waters containing native species that are already at risk (e.g., bull trout
and cutthroat trout). Bull trout are more sensitive to warm water temperatures than other species. For example, the Upper
Incipient Lethal Temperature for bull trout is 20.8o C (69.5o F) versus approximately 25o C (77o F) for rainbow trout,
brook trout and brown trout.
7) Anglers should practice water conservation measures in the home and at the workplace. They should appreciate others
for their water conservation efforts.
8) Anglers should also avoid waters that are already experiencing high levels of angling pressure. Alberta has many fisheries
that are not crowded and anglers should seek out fisheries that are likely to experience lower levels of angling pressure.
Fish Kills
Fish kills are a sudden mortality of numerous fish in the wild. They can be caused by a number of factors, both natural (e.g.,
natural dewatering events, warm water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen levels) and manmade (e.g., pollution events, and
water diversions that contribute to dewatering, warmer water temperatures and/or low dissolved oxygen levels).
Summer fish kills caused by low flows and warm water conditions have occurred in Alberta in the past. For example, low
flow conditions caused by water diversions have been implicated in fish kills on the Highwood River in 1977, 1979, 1983,
1984, 1985, 1988, 1994 and 2000. In addition to fish kills reported on the Highwood River, anglers and TUC staff
reported fish kills during the summer of 2000 within the Bow River sub-basin on: the Bow River below the Bassano Dam;
Pekisko Creek, a tributary of the Highwood River; the Sheep River; and Jumpingpound Creek, a tributary of the Bow. Fish
kills were also reported last year on streams and rivers in the Oldman River sub-basin (e.g., Cottonwood Creek).
Additional Information
Information about Fisheries Management during Drought Conditions is available from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks can
be found at <http://nris.state.mt.us/Drought/>.
Reporting Information About Fish Kills
Anyone wanting to report information about fish kills directly to government regulatory agencies can do so by calling:
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (Fisheries and Wildlife Service)
During the work-week, from anywhere in Alberta, you should call 310-0000 and ask for the nearest Fish and Wildlife
office. After hours, from anywhere in Alberta, you should call the ‘Report-A-Poacher’ line at 1-800-642-3800.
Alberta Environment
Call the 24 hour Environmental Complaint/Emergency line at 1-800-222-6514
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Call 403-292-5160 and leave a detailed message if it is after normal working hours.