Dozens attend event in Lunenburg County to tag invasive fish species

About 30 people turned out at Wentzell Lake in Lunenburg County, N.S., on Saturday to help tag smallmouth bass and learn about invasive species.

The event was organized by the LaHave River Salmon Association and environmental group Coastal Action.

Funding for the project came from the provincial Department of Fisheries, according to association president Jamie Mason.

Mason said the province is looking at different management strategies for individual rivers. He said Saturday's tagging exercise was held to gather data to help support that aim.

"Through a citizens' science approach, we're trying to tag as many fish as we can under the lake and in the immediate area of the lake," he said.

"Then, if we catch those fish or people report that they've caught those fish in other places, we can use some tracking software to show that they've moved from one place to another ... and maybe we can set different regulations."

The tags used carry a code and a number for anyone catching the fish to call and report its location.

About 40 smallmouth bass were tagged on Saturday, Mason said.

Mason said the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council and Coastal Action held education sessions. He said he was gratified to see some children at the event.

Association vice-president Scotty Sherin said he was surprised at the turnout.

"It wasn't a competition," he said. "It was basically people coming and volunteering their time for a research project, which I thought was really cool."

Sherin, who is an avid fisherman, said smallmouth bass were introduced to Bunkers Lake in Yarmouth County by the provincial government in 1942.

Since then, he said, the species has spread rapidly and can now be found in more than half of the primary watersheds in Nova Scotia.

He said 96 per cent of the waters containing smallmouth bass were colonized through illegal introductions and natural migration.

Sherin said because they are so "voracious" at outcompeting native species like brook trout, he's fearful that in 20 years the province will have lakes and rivers full of smallmouth bass and chain pickerel, another invasive species.

"It's super important for us to educate the public on the dangers of the invasive species that we have in our watersheds," Mason said.

"There is hope to restore the river to what it was through hard work and determination, and I think that's the importance of days like this."