Burbot released into Kootenai River

In an ongoing effort to restore the burbot population in the Kootenai River, juvenile burbot have been released into the river since July.

As of Aug. 12, more than 800 burbot have been released. The majority of the burbot are four- to five-months old. Currently, the wild burbot population in the Kootenai River is less than 50 fish.

The effort to restore the population is an international, multi-agency cooperative project funded by Bonneville Power Administration. Fish are being raised by the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Idaho Fish and Game and the University of Idaho.

On Aug.10, the University of Idaho released 573 juvenile burbot into the Kootenai River, with half released in the Moyie River and half released in Boundary Creek.

Idaho Fish and Game has released 204 burbot into the river. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho has released 66 burbot so far this year, with more being released throughout August.

“It is a neat program. We are learning how to raise them,” said Jack Siple, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Fisheries Technician.

With the cooperative project, various approaches to raising burbot are being studied. The University of Idaho has been conducting experiments at every stage of rearing, including spawning, incubation, early life rearing and larval feeding. Minimal research has been done on rearing burbot, so different approaches are being tested to determine the best method.

The burbot are being raised in three different environments: a hatchery, a natural pond or net pens in a pond.  The University of Idaho is raising burbot in a hatchery setting, Idaho Fish and Game raised burbot in net pens, and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho is raising burbot in a natural pond in Paradise Valley.

Fish from each environment will be tagged accordingly upon release, so researchers can compare the fish as they grow. Due to the small size of the fish, the tag is implanted under the skin and is visibe with a black light.

The objective of this cooperative project is to determine the movement and disbursement patterns of the burbot, the areas the burbot frequent and the habitat they need. Thirty-five burbot were fitted with transmitters before they were released in order to track their movements.

“It will be really neat to see what happens to the 1-year-old fish over the next few years,” said Nathan Jensen, University of Idaho Kootenai Tribal Burbot Project Supervisor.

Some of those fitted with transmitters were 3-year-old burbot that are close to the reproductive stage. Ideally, the transmitters will help locate the areas where the burbot spawn. Jensen said that they know the Goat River in British Columbia is a naturally reproductive area.

“The goal of the project is to bring the population back to what it used to be,” said Siple. “It used to be in the thousands.”