Arctic Grayling Management and Research

Management

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game manages Arctic grayling populations in Alaska. The management biologist’s job is to see that Arctic grayling populations remain healthy. They also try to keep the population at numbers that meet the harvest needs of subsistence users and sport anglers.

Research

Alaska Department of Fish and Game research on Arctic grayling focuses on collecting data for grayling population management. Management biologists rely on stock assessment data (how many and what size grayling there are in a lake or stretch of river). They also need to know how many Arctic grayling are caught in a given season. It is also important to know how much time anglers spend trying to catch Arctic grayling. Based on this information, managers can estimate how big a given grayling population is and how many grayling are harvested from that population each year.

Other life history information can help biologists understand how development can affect Arctic grayling populations. For example, radio tagging Arctic grayling to track where they travel to and from can be used to ensure that culvert placement does not keep grayling from reaching spawning areas.