Climate change mitigation and adaptation: fisheries changes from phasing out coal-generated electricity

减缓和适应气候变化：逐步淘汰煤电导致渔业发生变化

• 批准号: 576244-2022
• 负责人: Somers, ChristopherCM
• 金额: $ 2.2万
• 依托单位: University of Regina
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=745483
• 关键词: Climate; change; mitigation; adaptation; fisheries

Canada has adopted a national climate change strategy that will eliminate coal-fueled electricity generation by 2030. The replacement of coal with cleaner sources of energy will involve ripple effects caused by job loss, new brownfield sites, and potentially unexpected changes to recreational opportunities. Boundary Dam Power Station (BDPS) near Estevan, Saskatchewan, is a coal-fired power station that is well known worldwide in a climate change context because of its carbon capture and storage program. Regionally, the BDPS is well known because it releases warm water effluent into nearby Boundary Reservoir, creating suitable conditions to host a unique recreational fishery. This reservoir is the only location in Saskatchewan that has largemouth bass, a highly desirable warm-water sport fish, and it is one of the most northerly populations of this species in North America. As a result, Boundary Reservoir has become an economically important fishery, and an important draw for tourism. Shutting down the BDPS will eliminate thermal effluent, and there is a lot of concern about the fate of the unique fishery. Our industrial partner, SaskPower, currently lacks the ecological data necessary to understand potential changes to the aquatic community associated with shutting the BDPS down, and is unable to address stakeholder concerns about the fishery. This research project will provide critical data on the ecology of Boundary Dam Reservoir to help SaskPower address key information gaps, and will provide insight into management options that may favor persistence of bass. Specifically, we will examine the distribution, relative abundance, and condition of predatory sportfish (largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike) in Boundary Reservoir, and assess the importance of habitat associated with thermal effluent. We will also determine the structure of the food web and assess prey diversity and identity, as well as niche overlap among the predatory fish species. This project is phase 1 of a planned longer-term partnership. The over-arching goal is to establish informed options for management interventions, such as changes to relative abundance of predatory fish or augmentation of the food web (e.g., habitat enhancement, altered possession limits, stocking programs).

加拿大已经通过了一项国家气候变化战略，到2030年将消除燃煤发电。用更清洁的能源替代煤炭将会引发一系列连锁反应，包括失业、新的棕地建设，以及潜在的意想不到的娱乐机会变化。萨斯喀彻温省埃斯特万附近的边界水坝发电站（BDPS）是一座燃煤发电站，因其碳捕获和储存计划而在气候变化背景下闻名于世。在区内，污水处理厂因向附近的边界水库排放温水污水而闻名，为举办独特的休闲渔业创造了适宜的条件。这个水库是萨斯喀彻温省唯一有大口黑鲈的地方，大口黑鲈是一种非常受欢迎的温水运动鱼，它是北美最北的大口黑鲈种群之一。因此，边界水库已成为一个重要的经济渔业和旅游业的重要吸引力。关闭BDPS将消除热排放，人们对这一独特渔业的命运有很多担忧。我们的工业合作伙伴SaskPower目前缺乏必要的生态数据，无法了解关闭BDPS对水生群落的潜在变化，也无法解决利益相关者对渔业的担忧。该研究项目将提供边界坝水库生态的关键数据，以帮助SaskPower解决关键信息缺口，并将提供有利于鲈鱼持续生存的管理方案。具体而言，我们将研究边界水库中掠食性运动鱼（大口黑鲈、白眼鱼、北梭子鱼）的分布、相对丰度和状况，并评估与热废水相关的栖息地的重要性。我们还将确定食物网的结构，评估猎物的多样性和特征，以及掠食性鱼类物种之间的生态位重叠。该项目是一项长期合作计划的第一阶段。总体目标是为管理干预措施建立明智的选择，例如改变掠食性鱼类的相对丰度或增加食物网（例如，栖息地改善、改变占有限制、放养计划）。