Relative Abundance of Invasive Fish Species in Relative Abundance of Invasive Fish Species in Ontario Ministry of Natural ResourcesOntario Ministry of Natural Resources

Lake Erie Management UnitLake Erie Management UnitAssessment ProgramsAssessment Programs

Megan Belore, Larry Witzel, Andy Cook, Brian LockeMegan Belore, Larry Witzel, Andy Cook, Brian Locke

Some Introduced Fish Species

• ~23 reproducing introduced fish species in Lake Erie

• >100 native fish species

• Introduced species impact competition, predation, reproduction, habitat, and trophic pathways

Species Introduction Date

Chinook Salmon 1873

Common Carp 1896

Rainbow Trout 1895

Sea Lamprey 1921

Rainbow Smelt 1935

Alewife 1953

White Perch 1953

Coho Salmon 1969

Pink Salmon 1979

Brown Trout 1982

Round Goby 1993

Tubenose Goby 1996

Lakewide Commercial Harvest

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

1935

1939

1943

1947

1951

1955

1959

1963

1967

1971

1975

1979

1983

1987

1991

1995

1999

2003

2007

2011

Year

Har

vest

(10

00's

lbs)

Native Non-Native

36% of harvest is non-native species

Lakewide Commercial Harvest

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

1935

1939

1943

1947

1951

1955

1959

1963

1967

1971

1975

1979

1983

1987

1991

1995

1999

2003

2007

2011

Year

Har

vest

(10

00's

lbs)

Other Freshwater Drum Blue Pike WalleyeYellow Perch White Bass Whitefish CiscoSmelt Carp White Perch

From: Baldwin, N. A., R. W. Saalfeld, M. R. Dochoda, H. J. Buettner, and R.L. Eshenroder. Commercial Fish Production in the Great Lakes 1867-2006. http://www.glfc.org/databases/commercial/commerc.php

Alewife & White Perch

Round Goby

Zebra Mussels

Rainbow Smelt

Ontario Commercial Harvest

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Year

To

tal V

alu

e (

mill

ion

s $

)

All other species Common CarpWhite Perch Rainbow Smelt

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Year

To

tal H

arv

es

t (1

00

0's

lbs

)

All other species Common CarpWhite Perch Rainbow Smelt

38% of harvest is non-native species 10% of value is from non-native species

Assessment Surveys

• MNR LEMU operates several programs that include AIS surveillance West basin bottom trawl Lake wide partnership gill net Long Point Bay trawl Long Point Bay gill net

West Basin Trawl

• 10 minute bottom trawl in west basin

• ½ inch cod end• August, 1988 –

present• 36 fixed sites• Used to estimate

abundance of juvenile and forage fish

West Basin YOY Trawl

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

2012

YearT

ota

l YO

Y C

UE

(#

/he

cta

re)

All other species YOYWhite Perch YOY

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

2012

Year

To

tal C

UE

(#

/he

cta

re)

All native speciesAll non-native species

76% of YOY catch is white perch(91% in 2012)

64% of all ages catch is non-native(78% in 2012)

Partnership Gill Net Survey

• Lakewide gill net survey done partnership with the Ontario Commercial Fisheries Association

• Late August to October, 1989 – present

• Number of sites varies by year (58 – 144)

• Stratified random survey with canned and bottom nets

• Mesh size ranges from 32 mm to 152 mm

• Used to estimate abundance of adult fish

Partnership Gill Net Survey

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1989

1992

1995

1998

2001

2004

2007

2010

Year

To

tal O

bs

erv

ed

CU

E (

#/g

an

g)

All non-native All native

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

19

89

19

92

19

95

19

98

20

01

20

04

20

07

20

10

YearT

ota

l Ob

serv

ed C

UE

(#/

gan

g)

Alewife Rainbow Smelt

White Perch All Other Non-Native

21% of catch is non-native

All Catch Invasive Species Catch

Long Point Bay Trawl

PortDover

outerLong Point

Bay

Inner Bay

PeacockPoint

TurkeyPoint

Long Pt. Bay

Lake Erie

• Three surveys Inner Nearshore outer Offshore outer

• September to October• To assess juvenile and forage

fish

■ Inner LPB trawl

о Nearshore Outer LPB Trawl Offshore Outer LPB Trawl

Long Point Bay Trawl

Inner LPB Trawl• Round Goby

First appeared in 1999 69% of catch (2003-12) 91 % of catch (2012)

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

19

80

19

84

19

88

19

92

19

96

20

00

20

04

20

08

20

12

Year

CU

E (

#/h

ec

tare

)

YOY other speciesRound Goby

Long Point Bay Trawl

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996

1999

2002

2005

2008

2011

Year

CU

E (

#/h

ec

tare

)

YOY other speciesRound GobyAlewife

Nearshore Outer LPB Trawl• Round Goby

First appeared in 1999 48% of catch (2003-12) 46 % of catch (2012)

• Alewife 15% of catch (2003-12) 4 % of catch (2012)

• Total AIS 63% of catch (2003-12)

vs. 9% (1984-93)

Long Point Bay Trawl

Offshore Outer LPB Trawl• Round Goby

First appeared in 1999 19% of catch (2003-12) 4 % of catch (2012)

• Alewife 3% of catch (2003-12) 23 % of catch (2012)

• Rainbow Smelt 49% of catch (2003-12) 55 % of catch (2012)

• Total AIS 71% of catch (2003-12)

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

19

84

19

87

19

90

19

93

19

96

19

99

20

02

20

05

20

08

20

11

Year

CU

E (

#/h

ec

tare

)

YOY other species

Rainbow Smelt

Round Goby

Alewife

Long Point Bay Gill Net

• June – August, 1986 – present

• Transitioned from multi to monofilament nets 1991-1994

• Only data from 1995 – present shown

• 40 sites

• Mesh sizes 32 mm to 152 mm

• Used to estimate abundance of adult fish

Long Point Bay Gill Net

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

Year

To

tal N

um

be

r C

au

gh

t

Non-native Native

01,0002,0003,0004,0005,0006,0007,0008,0009,000

10,000

19

95

19

98

20

01

20

04

20

07

20

10

YearT

ota

l Nu

mb

er

Ca

ug

ht

Other White PerchRound Goby Alewife

All Catch Invasive Species Catch

20,000

14% of catch is non-native (44% in 2012)

Asian Carp Surveillance

2012 Asian Carp eDNADetection Program

• Purpose: to determine if Bighead, Silver, and Grass carp are present in the Canadian waters of Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and their tributaries

• September to November 2012

• 124 sites, 96 sites sampled twice

• 3 water samples per site

• 71 sites electrofished

• No Asian carp eDNA found

2013 Asian Carp eDNADetection Program

• Purpose: to determine if Bighead, Silver, and Grass carp are present in the Canadian waters of Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and their tributaries

• May to July 2013

• 79 sites, 69 sites sampled twice

• 3 water samples per site

• No Asian carp eDNA found

Additional Species Observed

• Occasional reports of non-native species in Lake Erie & tributaries include:

Grass Carp – 1985, 2013 Bighead Carp – 1995, 2000 Piranha – 1995 Pacu – 1992, 1995, 2004 Wiper – 2006 American Shad – 1991 Chinese Mitten Crab – 1973, 2004, 2009 European Flounder – 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988,

1989, 1991, 1996, 2000

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?