Introduction to the special issue on the emerging fisheries in a changing Arctic

With the loss of sea ice and a longer open water season, exploitation of natural resources in the Arctic has been increasing and the Arctic marine environment has been coined the “new Klondike” (Christiansen et al. 2014). One resource predicted to be increasingly exploited in the Arctic is fisheries (Tai et al. 2019). However, a disconnect remains between the increasing pressure on Arctic fisheries and the available biological knowledge (demographic, abundance, etc.) of the harvested species. For example, only five of the 63 Arctic fish species targeted by fisheries have been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature for their current conservation status (Christiansen et al. 2014). In 2012, an Open Letter organized by the Pew Environment Group was signed by more than 2000 scientists from 67 countries to express concerns regarding fisheries in unregulated Arctic waters. Several examples from other fisheries have shown that when large-scale commercial exploitation moves faster than the knowledge of the stock, there is a high risk of significant detrimental impact on the stock exploited (Jackson et al. 2001).

Fishing for commercial and subsistence purposes in Nunavut (Fig. 1), Canada, has been steadily increasing in the last few decades. Development of infrastructure, such as harbours and ports, and longer ice-free periods have made resources more accessible and more vulnerable. Fisheries and Oceans Canada implemented a program to improve science and management of Nunavut emerging fisheries in 2009. The catalyst for this investment was the implementation of harbour development in Pangnirtung, Nunavut (Fig. 2). While this special issue highlights science work that was accomplished as part of the emerging fisheries program in Cumberland Sound near the community of Pangnirtung, this introduction provides background information on the emerging fisheries program as well as a description of the manuscripts in the special issue.

[Image omitted: See PDF]

[Image omitted: See PDF]

The Nunavut Territory was formed in 1993 concurrent with the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Act (Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, Justice Canada 1993). The development of enterprises that involved traditional and non-traditional vocations has accelerated since that time. In fisheries, the development of new fisheries for commercial purposes has increased steadily. The “emerging fisheries” of Nunavut have provided employment for fishers, processors, and other entrepreneurs (Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated 2005). To facilitate economic development, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) created plans for port and harbour development in the territory. The community of Pangnirtung was the first site where a new harbour was built. In addition to the growth of commercial fisheries, it was expected that harbour development would lead to increased subsistence harvesting for both fishes and marine mammals.

Management of the anticipated increased harvest required increased investment in scientific studies and fisheries management to ensure biological sustainability. In response, the Central and Arctic Region of DFO proposed an “emerging fisheries program” (DFO 2008, 2010). The proposal received support from the federal cabinet and was implemented in 2003. The program was the first fisheries program that concentrated on both of the locally harvested fish species, Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus, 1758)) and Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Walbaum, 1792)). The program devoted resources to study ecosystem effects of fisheries, such as trophic structure of the ecosystem, the consequences of changing abundance in harvested species, and harvest of by-catch species. In addition, the impact of harbour development on the ability to more effectively harvest traditional resources, such as marine mammals for subsistence, was to be studied.

The community of Pangnirtung was well-placed for this economic development as it had a successful fish processing plant (Pangnirtung Fisheries Ltd.) already in operation that specialized in Arctic Charr and Greenland Halibut (Government of Nunavut 2016). The Arctic Charr came from relatively small commercial fisheries in Cumberland Sound and occasionally from other communities in the region. However, it was known that there were a large number of unexploited or lightly exploited stocks in the immediate area. Greenland Halibut came from a commercial quota from Cumberland Sound. The hamlet of Pangnirtung is closely accessible by air from Iqaluit and southern markets, and is large enough to supply a workforce for the harvesting, processing, and shipping of fish. The community expressed strong interest in the development of commercial fisheries for employment. At the time of the decision to develop research on emerging fisheries in the Arctic, the Government of Nunavut was investing in the operation of the fish processing plant and was also interested in increasing the supply of fish to the plant. Thus, Pangnirtung was deemed the best place for the initial improvement in infrastructure to support fisheries and a harbour was built there.

Research on fisheries in the area was already occurring in a limited way due to the funding support of two agencies: (1) the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board which is responsible for providing recommendations on fishery quotas to the Minister of DFO and (2) the Government of Nunavut, Fisheries and Sealing Division, responsible for the economic promotion of Nunavut fisheries (Tallman et al. 2019). The preliminary research on Arctic Charr and marine mammals funded by these agencies allowed for rapid expansion of research into the emerging fisheries program.

The emerging fisheries program is an ongoing and long-term research effort. Some of the results of the coordinated research are showcased in this special issue. One of the first steps of the emerging fisheries program was to develop fishery independent baseline of biological characteristics among Arctic Charr populations, one of the main fisheries under the emerging fisheries program in Cumberland Sound. Arctic Charr populations are phenotypically plastic and have adopted multiple life history strategies to adapt to their variable environmental. As a result, some Arctic Charr populations are freshwater residents, some are anadromous, and some populations exhibit both strategies (Chapman et al. 2012). In this issue, Young and Tallman (2021) examined the ecology and usage of two allopatric populations of Arctic Charr with differing life histories (anadromous versus resident landlocked) and found that landlocked Arctic Charr fed year round, whereas anadromous Arctic Charr did not feed in the lake. Young et al. (2021) investigated the growth, condition, and body morphology of the same two populations. They demonstrated differences in growth, seasonal condition, and morphology between the two populations. Grenier and Tallman (2021) examined the growth pattern of four populations of Arctic Charr with different life history types. They found that seasonal growth pattern differed between the two life history types, which highlights the importance of early growth in life history trajectory.

Ulrich and Tallman (2021a) investigated the trophic ecology of two Arctic Charr populations with different life histories. Resident and anadromous Arctic Charr had distinct trophic niches, whereas immature Arctic Charr seemed to occupy a distinct niche from both anadromous and resident mature fish. In a second manuscript, Ulrich and Tallman (2021b) explored the trophic ecology of Arctic Charr from 2002 to 2011 using stable isotopes analysis. They found that Arctic Charr shifted from a primarily invertebrate-based to a fish-based diet over that time period. Caza-Allard et al. (2021) explored the biological and environmental factors that influence the survival of adult Arctic Charr in the central Canadian Arctic near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. They discovered that the survival of adult Arctic Charr was high and that the variation in survival between years was low.

As part of the emerging fisheries program, it is also important to understand the ecology and population dynamics of the Cumberland Sound marine mammal populations that rely on species targeted by fisheries. In particular, the Cumberland Sound beluga (Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) population has been listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act (2002) and it is important to understand the potential impact of existing and emerging fisheries on the recovery of this population. Watt et al. (2021) generated two new population estimates for the Cumberland Sound beluga population in 2014 and in 2017. They also built a population dynamics model that suggested that the population was declining. Booy et al. (2021) used passive acoustic monitoring methods to investigate the habitat usage as well as the residency of the beluga in an area of high use during the summer. Ogloff et al. studied the long-distance movement of ringed seals (Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775)) from the High Arctic and documented that some of them visited the Cumberland Sound area. This study highlights the connections of the Cumberland Sound ecosystem to other part of the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Direct interactions between fisheries and non-targeted species are also an important aspect of the emerging fisheries research program. Johnson et al. (2021) documented northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770)), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) as well as hooded seals (Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777)) that foraged on Greenland Halibut fisheries discard in Baffin Bay, an adjacent water body to Cumberland Sound.

One of the long term goals of the emerging fisheries program was to integrate the various components of the Cumberland Sound ecosystem into an ecosystem model as well as develop a framework to manage Cumberland Sound fisheries using an ecosystem approach. Tallman and Marcoux (2021) provided a review of the challenges and opportunities of using this approach for Cumberland Sound fisheries. They note that a general ecosystem model is required to explore the consequences of increased fishing.

Several aspects of the emerging fisheries research program still need to be addressed. For example, the type and amount of bycatch from the different fisheries, as well as the resulting effect on each bycatch species need to be investigated, especially for Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801)) and skate species. Research is still needed to understand the impacts of climate change on the different fisheries. Additionally, there is a need to expand the scientific examination of emerging fisheries to other locations in Nunavut. Emerging fisheries in the Canadian Arctic provide great opportunities for local communities. However, it is essential that the resources are sustainably managed to ensure their longevity for future generations and to avoid mistakes made in various fisheries throughout the world (Pauly et al. 2002).

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