While eels have been fished in and around the Bras d’Or Lakes for hundreds of years, we never knew how old they were, how long they could grow, whether we had more female than male eels in the population, or if they had the swimbladder parasite.

UINR recently completed a study to help us understand the local eel population in the Bras d’Or Lakes.  The research, supported by Aboriginal Funds for Species At Risk, documented eel habitats outside Unama’ki Mi’kmaq communities and to address some of these questions.

Eels are designated as a Species of Special Concern under the federal Species At Risk Act. This designation means that eels are not as plentiful as they once were, but the current population is not so low that they warrant a threatened or endangered designation.

Through discussions with Mi’kmaq eel fishers, who graciously contributed samples for analyses, and our own surveys in different habitats throughout the Bras d’Or Lakes watershed, we were able to study 188 eels from our primary eel fishing location.

So what did we learn?

All of the eels that were greater than 30 cm in our samples were females. Yes, every one.

The largest eel we examined was 92.8 cm (0.98 m) and was 1.5 kg. It was 18 years old. The oldest eel we found was 19 years old and she was 66.0 cm (0.660 m) and weighed 612 g (0.612 kg). The smallest eel caught was 16.5 cm and was one year old. This young eel was caught in Christmas Pond in Christmas Island.

There is greater variation in age with the size of the eel. For example, the range of ages for an eel that was 50 cm (0.5 m) was eight to sixteen, while an eel around 40 cm may be four to eight years old.

The swimbladder parasite, Anguillicoloides crassus, was found in the Bras d’Or Lakes and was more widespread than we first thought.  After two years of sampling, we can confidently report that, overall, approximately 46% of the eels are infected with the parasite. But it’s not like this everywhere.

In 2009, Whycocomagh Bay had 65% of infected eels and this increased to 75% in 2010. Nyanza Bay also has a high number of infected eels at 60% in 2009 and increasing in 67% in 2010. Other areas also showed an increase in infection between 2009 to 2010.  Infected eels in East Bay eels increased to 27% from 25% and the southern portion increased to 25% in 2010 from no detection in 2009.

The most parasites found in one eel were 75 in Whycocomagh Bay. West Bay was the only area that did not have any eels infected with the parasite.  As this parasite only affects eels and not humans, you can still eat eels. It is difficult to determine if an eel is affected with the parasite just by looking at its body.

In general, eels were found throughout the Bras d’Or Lakes and in a variety of habitats. They were  commonly fished in the shallow, warm and protected embayments and barachois ponds. Many of our surveys in which we captured eels all had these traits in common and many of the habitats are found both outside and within our communities. All our waters are home to this incredible species. Let’s work together to make sure they stay that way.

Many people helped us in our research by providing eels and assisting in many ways: Barry Bernard, Blair Bernard, Winston Bernard, Joe Googoo, and Charles Young. Dean Denny, Angela Morris, Simon Sylliboy, Tyson Paul, and O’Hara Young assisted with collecting samples and processing. Aboriginal Funds for Species At Risk provided funding to  support our research.

shelley.denny@uinr.ca

Parasites in eel swimbladder

Infested eel swimbladder

Healthy eel swimbladder

It is going to be a busy year for UINR! We recently received support from Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk to continue our eel research in the Bras d’Or Lakes. The project will determine biological characteristics and the relationship of American Eel (Kataq) abundance in the Bras d’Or Lakes. We will be conducting eel and elver habitat surveys, gathering biological data and landing estimates from the food, social and ceremonial eel fishery. We are expanding sampling to include freshwater rivers and lakes and barrachois ponds for eels.

Our research will include discussions with Elders and eel fishers on eel ecology in freshwater and fishing efforts by habitat type and season. We will establish a timeline for when the swimbladder parasite appeared in the Bras d’Or Lakes eel which will help provide a traditional balance to our research.

UINR is proud of our unique approach to sample collection for research. Eels are obtained fresh, processed for the required data, then cleaned and skinned so that they can be returned to the fisher. To date, around 80% of eel samples have been returned for consumption or communal sharing. If they do not want the eels, samples are frozen and given to those who want a small feed of eels.

UINR also received funding to develop best management practices for shoreline development with our Mi’kmaw communities.  These guidelines will provide protection for the near-shore region used by eels. Shelley Denny, UINR’s Biologist and Research Coordinator explains: While we have constitutionally protected rights for food, social and ceremonial fishing, and now the right to fish for a moderate livelihood, we cannot forget our responsibility to the eel and the environment that nourishes it. I see this development as a pro-active approach to eel conservation by way of habitat protection. Having these standards in place for the Bras d’Or Lakes will be the first of its kind in Nova Scotia.

This area is an important habitat for many other species such as oysters, mussels, juvenile fish, and as spawning areas for herring.  Denny acknowledges the work of the Bras d’Or Lakes Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative for researching shoreline protection measures that are commonly used in other provinces and their potential application for our region:  CEPI put together a useful document to help us help ourselves. I think the time is right to pursue this issue and we are doing this in collaboration with others around the Bras d’Or Lakes. I am confident our efforts will have a positive impact on the health of the Lakes and I’m very excited to be part of this process. UINR is meeting with member communities to confirm their participation. Funding for this project was provided through Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Protection program.

shelley.denny@uinr.ca

Throughout June UINR staff will catch, measure, and release elvers (young eels) as they enter the rivers and brooks between Ingonish Beach and Neil’s Harbour.

The project is looking at the migration of the elvers from the ocean into the freshwaters of the Park. The project is part of a larger Parks Canada study designed to better understand the status of the American eel in Atlantic Canada.

UINR biologist Shelley Denny explains “I think this is an excellent opportunity to learn about eels in other habitats around Cape Breton Island. We often forget that that eels can be found in virtually any body of water, from the smallest stream or pond to large estuaries such as the Bras d’Or Lakes.”

In 2006, American eel was listed as a species of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Eels live in freshwater, but breeds only once in the saltwater of the Sargasso Sea before it dies.

“It’s great that Parks Canada has taken a keen interest in learning about their local eel population and we are honored to have been invited to assist with their project” Shelley concludes.

UINR is Cape Breton’s Mi’kmaq voice on natural resources and the environment. UINR represents the five Mi’kmaq communities of Unama’ki on Mi‘kmaq natural resources and their sustainability.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park is part of a system of national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas committed to protecting and presenting Canada’s natural and cultural heritage for generations of Canadians.

shelley.denny@uinr.ca

This year we will address knowledge gaps in the life history and ecology for eels residing in the Bras d’Or Lakes through a series of surveys for elvers (juvenile eels less than 10 cm in length) and adult eels.

Elvers grow into adult eels that we fish, so it’s important for us to understand the habitats that are necessary for their survival. Over the next several weeks, UINR will be sampling the nearshore marine habitats outside each Mi’kmaq community to get an idea of what types of habitat elvers are found.

We are also looking for samples of adult eels caught by the Food, Social and Ceremonial eel fishers. If you are willing to spare a couple of eels, we would greatly appreciate it! Your eels will be examined for the presence of the swimbladder parasite that was recently found in eels around Cape Breton, and to take measurements on length, weight and age. This information will be used to determine growth rates for the Bras d’Or Lakes’ eel population.

The swim bladder parasite impairs the eel’s ability to swim and escape predators. It also may affect their ability to make the lengthy migration to spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas.

If you see us sampling in your community, don’t hesitate to see what we are doing or ask questions!

shelley.denny@uinr.ca

From UINR Marten – Vol.4. Issue.3 – Autumn 2008