Researchers: Nick Jones and Geoff Yunker

Project Description: Relative to the small, clear and hard bottomed streams of Ontario, few methods exist for other types of flowing waters such as turbid, low conductivity and non-wadeable streams. In fact, few methods exist for non-wadeable rivers in the world. As a result, we generally have a poor understanding of fishes in flowing waters and how they are influenced by disturbance.

Rivers in Ontario face increasing pressures from fishing, hydropower, forestry, pulp and paper facilities, cities, harbours, and cumulative effects of these. Frequently resource managers are charged with reviewing development projects on rivers in the absence of basic ecological data and understanding.

Recently OMNR has begun exploring the idea of broad-scale monitoring of flowing waters. Such an initiative will not only help determine the status of these economically important waters, but provide ecological information needed to make sound management decisions. The development of Riverine Index Netting is a fundamental step towards fisheries inventory, monitoring, and assessment.

The Riverine Index Netting (RIN) manual represents the provincial standard for assessing fish populations and communities in medium to large non-wadable rivers in Ontario . There are many reasons why you might want to use the Riverine Index Netting protocol and each will have its own experimental design independent of the net function. At a minimum it is important to understand that Riverine Index Netting (RIN) nets and this manual have been developed to efficiently catch small, large, and extra-large fishes in rivers. This instruction manual assumes that the user has sound knowledge and field experience in netting and sampling fishes. The manual is subdivided into sections on: gear description, pre-field activities, field procedures, post field activities, and data management. We also provide a hypothetical case study to illustrate how the Riverine Index Netting method can be employed at a hydropower development. Lastly, we provide appendices on bathymetry mapping, aging structures, contaminant analysis, field forms, equipment list, and fish species codes. Few methods exist for non-wadeable rivers in the world. As a result, we generally have a poor understanding of fishes in fl owing waters and how they are influenced by disturbance. This manual represents just the beginning of method development for rivers in Ontario . We hope this manual is proven to be useful in environmental impact assessments and resource reporting.

Collaborators and Participants: OMNR Regional Science Teams and District Offices Environmental consultants, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Quebec Ministry of Environment

Links: RIN Manual of Instructions, RIN Support Spreadsheet, Logistics of Sampling Large Rivers
2009

Map of Study Area: Province of Ontario

Interesting Facts: Relative to the small clear and hard bottom streams of Ontario, few methods exist for other types of flowing waters such as turbid and non-wadeable systems.