Information into Action: synthesizing available data and traditional knowledge into recommendations for Arctic grayling recovery
This project supports the Swan River First Nation in their efforts toward Arctic Grayling recovery, to regain their treaty right to fish.
According to the Alberta Fish Sustainability Index, Arctic grayling populations have declined by 70% since 1960. Some factors that have aided in this decline are angling pressure, habitat degradation and fragmentation, and increasing water temperatures. The lack of an action plan and political consultation with the original stewards of the land has led to increased habitat degradation and fragmentation within the Swan River watershed. This decrease in Arctic grayling population led to a zero harvest limit across the province, and therefore the loss of a treaty right to members of Swan River First Nation.
Swan River First Nation has conducted monitoring activities such as grayling habitat surveys, eDNA sampling, stream temperature monitoring, stream crossing assessments, and creating the Swan River Watershed Initiative. Phase 1 of this project began by collating existing data collected by Swan River First Nation regarding Arctic grayling and Traditional Knowledge within the community into a data summary report. This report provided remediation strategies to mitigate land use impacts and the next steps in recovering the Swan River Arctic grayling population. In 2025, Elders and other community members discussed the report and created a plan.
In phase 2, the objectives are to:
- reassess Arctic grayling abundance throughout the watershed
- reassess barriers to fish movement across the watershed, specifically from stream crossings
- evaluate whether variation in forestry intensity, documented spills, and downstream habitat fragmentation is associated with differences in Arctic grayling abundance
- through discussions with community members, gain a better understanding of what the “historical” population of Arctic grayling use to look like within the Swan River watershed
Ceremony marking the start of the project held
Current data reviewed and summarized, and knowledge gaps identified
Discussion of the data summary and possible next steps in Kinuso
Poster presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of ArcticNet in Calgary sharing progress to date
Community members shared their relationship and experience with fish and fishing, and knowledge about Arctic grayling
