Trout Unlimited Canada, Golder Associates, and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (Fish & Wildlife), in association with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Department of Renewable Resources (University of Alberta), Alberta Conservation Association and the American Fisheries Society (Mid-Canada Chapter), hosted a two day symposium & workshop on the Conservation of Arctic Grayling in Grande Prairie, Alberta, June 7-9, 2011.

The Grande Prairie symposium and workshop followed in the footsteps of earlier workshops held in Prince George, B.C. (January 2000), and Jackson, Montana (August 2005).  Since these previous workshops additional knowledge on grayling biology and conservation approaches has been made available, numerous case-histories of grayling loss and recovery have been documented, and concerns have been heightened around consequences of development, cumulative effects and climate change.

Arctic grayling are truly a special fish,but in much of the southern portion of their range, their vulnerability to development, harvest, and changing landscapes have rendered their populations fragile and in need of special care. The Grande Prairie symposium addressed the following questions:

• How has the Grande Prairie host group met the challenges of maintaining grayling populations and their habitats?
• What sampling and restoration techniques have proven useful, or have been shown to fail?
• What seem to be the most fruitful areas of research and most effective management approaches?

A portion of funds collected from the Grande Prairie workshop were donated to Trout Unlimited Canada. This fund donation is being used to support a study of the genetic biodiversity of Arctic Grayling in northwestern North America. Plans are already being made for future workshops.

For more information regarding Trout Unlimited Canada's conservation efforts on Arctic Grayling please contact Brian Meagher Trout Unlimited Canada's Alberta Biologist at 1-800-909-6040 or via email at bmeagher@tucanada.org