PROSPECTIVE Canada Lake Winnipeg North Basin walleye and lake whitefish – gillnet

This FIP involves the commercial gillnet walleye and lake whitefish fishery on Lake Winnipeg’s north basin located in Manitoba, Canada. An MSC pre-assessment was completed in November 2024. This FIP includes five units of assessment as follows: north basin walleye, poplar river lake whitefish, grand rapids lake whitefish, mossey bay whitefish, and dauphin river lake whitefish. Stock assessments have been completed and reviewed externally. The north basin walleye stock is being harvested at or near maximum sustainable yield. The four north basin lake whitefish stocks require action to support stock rebuilding. Habitat impact from commercial fishing activity is considered to be minimal. Commercial fishing activity is not expected to cause irreversible harm to key ecosystem elements including fish community structure, although continued monitoring and research would be beneficial. A fisheries management plan with a responsive harvest strategy is needed. Additional information on impacts on non-target species and ETP species is also needed. The management agency (Province of Manitoba) is working with fishers and partners, such as Indigenous Services Canada, to address deficiencies outlined in the MSC pre-assessment.