Quote:
Originally Posted by BeeGuy
There is considerable literature on P.williamsoni wrt Alberta.
You will not likely find scientific studies for any species from >80yrs ago.
For this time period, the only records would be commercial, and riverine catches are not as well recorded as lacustrine hauls due to their more, 'opportunistic', and less commercially viable nature.
There is data that would qualify as baseline for this species at least as far back as the mid-70's.
Articles can be posted if you want, just ask.
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I agree.
No real commercial mountain whitefish fishery. Subsistance netting maybe. Lots for lake whitefish but not mountain.
Mountain whitefish were never a desirable food or sport fish...even less so than bull trout back then.
http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/ar.../whitefish.htm
If this link is true...Montana has a limit of 100 Mountain Whitefish. Crazy...but in the larger warmer waters with limited harvest...they may get away with it. Harvest up in Alberta has always been very high and targetting heavily during the spawning migration.
I am not so sure the baseline data would necessarily work to compare historical numbers to today's numbers. It certainly would show a continued decline in numbers from the 70's to today. What is lacking is the ability to track population density over time and also follow any trends affecting trout populations...either negatively or positively.
The montana link above...while not scientific claims to purport trout and mountain whitefish don't compete.
That I do not agree with. I find it hard to see that being the case. It is just that there are year classes of whitefish that will add high quality food resources to certain size classes of predatory trout.