Fish Salvage Activities Related to Diamond Mine Construction in the NWT

• Main Authors: Laurie J, Matthew G. Kennedy, Erik Madsen
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diavik Diamond Mine; Lac de Gras; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.594.6121; http://www.diavik.com/documents/Sudbury2003_Diavik_fish_salvage.pdf

Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI) is currently developing the Diavik Diamond Mine at Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories. Development of the mine involves the extraction of diamonds from four kimberlite pipes located beneath the substrate of Lac de Gras. The mine requires construction of a system of water retention dikes in Lac de Gras to facilitate open-pit mining under dry conditions. For two successive years, Jacques Whitford has assisted DDMI in working closely with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to successfully complete the salvage of fish isolated from Lac de Gras by dike construction. The object of fish salvage operations was to remove as many fish as possible from the areas to be dewatered and return them, live, to Lac de Gras. This program offered an excellent opportunity to collect information on fish species, morphology and health in the Lac de Gras area. A variety of capture methods were utilized, including gillnets, trap nets, minnow traps and angling. Captured fish were transported across the dike to a processing area on Lac de Gras, where fish were identified and morphological parameters measured before release. Fraser recovery boxes were utilized for the first time in 2002, resulting in markedly improved survival of cisco (Coregonus artedii) and round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum). The study also demonstrates how environmental protection can be achieved successfully with industry working in collaboration with government agencies.