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

加拿大已经通过了一项国家气候变化战略，该战略将在2030年前消除燃煤发电。用更清洁的能源取代煤炭将涉及失业、新的棕地地点以及潜在的娱乐机会意想不到的变化造成的连锁反应。萨斯喀彻温省埃斯特万附近的边界大坝发电站(BDPS)是一座在气候变化背景下因其碳捕获和封存计划而闻名全球的燃煤发电站。在地区方面，BDPS是众所周知的，因为它将温暖的水流出到附近的边界水库，为发展独特的休闲渔业创造了合适的条件。这个水库是萨斯喀彻温省唯一有大口黑鱼的地方，这是一种非常令人向往的温暖水域运动鱼，它是北美这种物种最北端的种群之一。因此，边界水库已成为一种重要的经济渔业，并成为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非常担忧。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。这项研究项目将提供有关边界大坝水库生态的关键数据，以帮助SaskPower解决关键信息差距，并将提供对可能有利于BASS持久性的管理选项的洞察。具体地说，我们将研究边界水库中捕食性运动鱼(大口鲈鱼、大口石斑鱼、北梭鱼)的分布、相对丰度和状况，并评估与热排放有关的栖息地的重要性。我们还将确定食物网的结构，评估捕食性鱼类物种的猎物多样性和特性以及生态位重叠。该项目是计划中的长期合作伙伴关系的第一阶段。总体目标是为管理干预建立知情选择，例如改变捕食性鱼类的相对丰度或扩大食物网(例如，改善生境、改变占有限制、放养计划)。

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).