Arctic char and other northern species such as shrimp appear to be in good condition, but this situation could change, informed Jeff Hutchings of Dalhousie University, also chair of Canada’s Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife. Hutchings opined that Lake Hazen’s two varieties of landlocked char and the “monster” Atlantic cod of Baffin Island, are examples of the Arctic’s biodiversity, which could be at risk. The huge cod, many the size of large dogs, are unique to Nunavut. They are only found in Ogac Lake near Frobisher Bay and in two lakes along the Cumberland Sound, called Qasigialiminik and Tariujarusiq.
Hutchinson also expressed that the fish ended up in the lakes at the end of the last ice age, 5,000 to 8,000 years ago. When the last ice retreated, the land uplifted, pinching off these bodies of water and cutting these cod off from the ocean. However, Ogac Lake is open to the ocean – and this has allowed its huge cod to thrive. The high tides of each month, which bring in food and salt, help the cod to survive.
A U.S. recent recommendation for a moratorium on Arctic Ocean fisheries north of Alaska has put pressure on Canada to produce a sustainable, long-term strategy for its fish stocks. The U.S. fisheries council also urged approval of the “precautionary, protective approach” to safeguarding Arctic fish stocks until populations can be fully studied. It is fact that climate change is affecting the ocean environment for fish stocks, altering the ocean’s temperature, salt content and currents.
