The Omineca Region covers the north central interior section of British Columbia, an area of ~132,000km. The topography of the Omineca Region encompasses mountain ranges and plateaus, which create numerous lakes and rivers within three major drainage basins, the Arctic, Fraser, and Columbia basins. Major watersheds of the region include the Williston Reservoir and its tributaries, the Nechako and Stuart-Takla systems, and portions of the Upper Fraser River and its tributaries. In addition, several thousand smaller lakes and streams are part of the natural resource rich landscape.  These rivers and lakes provide fish habitats that offer excellent fishing opportunities, and the varied landscape hosts a tremendous diversity of species: White Sturgeon, Bull Trout, Arctic Grayling, Burbot, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Rainbow Trout, and more. Major stressors to aquatic ecosystems include climate change, fishing pressure, industrial development, forestry, and other land use changes. The region benefits from a high diversity of Indigenous communities that contribute to all aspects of the region's culture and economy. Regional Fish and Wildlife staff are based in Prince George and tasked with managing fish conservation, First Nations fisheries, and recreational fisheries in this setting. The Omineca Fisheries team works towards continuously improving the delivery of the Omineca Fisheries program by implementing scientific monitoring and research projects that support operational priorities, in partnership with all user groups, and by making results available to the public. This talk will provide an overview of current regional fisheries priorities, with examples of research and monitoring projects underway or planned. I will discuss legacy, new, and future challenges faced by fishes in the Omineca Region, and opportunities to address these through partnerships and collaboration.

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.

Please Note: NRESi colloquium presentations this semester will be available to attend both in-person as well as online. However, those wishing to attend in-person must be partially (before Oct 24th) or fully-vaccinated (after October 24th) and wear a mask as per Provincial Health Officer (PHO) orders and University policy. Thank you for your understanding.