Implications of linear developments on northern fishes

Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) is currently the focus of significant exploration and development activity. In particular, increased global demand for oil and gas resources has resulted in an escalation in the search for hydrocarbon deposits. Canada’s north is a landscape defined by water where large numbers of pristine water bodies still exist in remote areas. Northern development activities conducted in these areas will affect these sensitive aquatic ecosystems that support important fish and fish habitat. Fishes in low productivity northern systems grow slowly and mature late, making them particularly sensitive to environmental perturbations. The fishery resources of the NWT are an integral component of our northern ecosystems, and are of significant economic and cultural importance to northern people. By necessity, linear developments constructed in the NWT, such as roads, seismic lines, and pipelines, intersect lakes, rivers, and streams. This paper discusses linear development activities and th...