The Freshwater Fisheries Society’s Science Division has staff throughout the province. They undertake research to advance our fish culture practices, improving the survival and performance of fish raised and released in British Columbia. Our science professionals also provide technical expertise and support to the provincial fisheries program for the conservation of wild fish stocks, and management of B.C.’s thriving recreational fisheries. The division is supported by specialists in the fields of fish culture, fish health, genetics, fish biology, and sport fisheries management.
Our Science Division also maintains two labs. The Fish Health Unit provides year-round diagnostic assessments on all hatchery-reared fish and diagnostic support for B.C.’s wild fish stocks. The B.C. Provincial Aging Lab provides consistent, reliable and timely aging data to support the research and management decisions.
Working in partnership with academic, government, industry, and stakeholder groups, our science professionals rock! They are making great strides in improving our understanding of key issues facing provincial freshwater fisheries.
Read on to learn more about the members of our science team, and the research they are undertaking to help make sport fishing in B.C. even better.
Paul Askey, PhD, Fisheries Scientist
Paul is interested in all aspects of recreational fisheries management. With his expertise in quantitative analysis, he develops models and interactive tools to predict the outcomes of potential management decisions (such as stocking programs or harvest regulations) on stocked and wild fish populations. Tapping into the growing provincial dataset, Paul is interested in examining how outcomes on a specific fishery can be applied on a broader scale. Paul also provides technical advice and is involved in the restoration of kokanee stocks in Okanagan and Kootenay lakes.
Research focus keywords: recreational fisheries management, catchability, kokanee, angler effort, fisheries modelling, stocking optimization. Link to publications.
Marcus Boucher, MSc, RPBio, Senior Research and Development Biologist
Marcus studies how the rearing environment affect the growth, survival, and physiology of trout and, from this, what the applications are for hatchery rearing methods. With a keen interest in the science behind fish culture, his current research seeks to improve growth, survival, and fish quality for rearing both conservation and recreational fish stocks. Marcus also provides technical support for small-lake assessments (including strain evaluations) and assists with egg collection, juvenile fish sexing, and broodstock screening for our fish-culture program.
Research focus keywords: larval sturgeon, physiology, aquaculture, triploid, Horsefly, substrate, alevin, strain evaluation. Link to publications.
M. Kirstin Gale, MSc, RPBio, Senior Research and Development Biologist
Kirstin’s research interests focus on improving the survival and fitness of salmonids. Her background in conservation ecology includes investigating predictors of mortality after catch-and-release fishing, studying the effects of climate change on stress and survival of migrating fish, and using acoustic telemetry to track fish survival and movement across the land- and sea-scape. Kirstin’s primary role within FFSBC is working with a small team of biologists and fish culture experts to manage the breeding and care of the broodstocks we harvest for the provincial stocking program, including how we operate at our egg station collection locations. She also conducts research experiments in the hatcheries aiming to improve the quality and wellness of the fish in our care.
Research focus keywords: recreational fisheries, salmonids, ecology, broodstock management, small-lakes fisheries, river fisheries, catch-and-release. Link to publications.
Theresa Godin, BSc, Senior Research and Development Biologist
Theresa’s research focusses on developing and evaluating fish stocks for potential hatchery production in the future. Her work in developing all-female and sterile stocks of rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and kokanee has allowed fisheries managers to improve fishing for anglers while minimizing risk to wild populations. By evaluating the relative performance of new fish stocks in challenging conditions (such as high densities of non-salmonid competitor and/or predator species, or low-productivity oligotrophic coastal lakes), she also helps managers determine what fish are best suited for different lake environments. In addition, Theresa provides technical support and expertise for small-lake assessments, milt cryopreservation methods, and live-fish capture techniques.
Research focus keywords: fish stock development and evaluation, sterile and all-female fish, kokanee, recreational fisheries management, management tools. Link to publications.
Russell Hepburn, MSc, MBA, RPBio, Manager, Fish Health Laboratory
Russ has a background in populations genetics, protocol development, fish health and laboratory management. He is responsible for the Fish Health Laboratory’s mandate to deliver diagnostic and screening services to the Society’s six hatcheries and external partners (provincial and federal) as a part of the Society’s role in the provincial stocking programs. Russ also provides technical and laboratory support to FFSBC’s research and fish culture projects.
Research focus keywords: fish health, molecular biology, aquaculture. Link to publications.
Thuy Nguyen, PhD, Fish Health Laboratory Scientist
Thuy has strong expertise and intensive hands-on experiences in fish diseases, cell culture, immunology, microbiology, genetics, virology, bioinformatics, microbiological aseptic techniques, and animal science. She is deeply passionate about bacterial diseases and developing vaccines against infectious pathogens in aquatic animals. At the Fish Health Laboratory in Duncan, BC, she is responsible for routine diagnostic activities, including receiving and processing diagnostic samples; applying and troubleshooting real-time PCR methods for detection and identification of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens in fish; conducting ploidy analysis; and managing treatment request when needed.
Research focus keywords: fish diseases, bacteria, virus, molecular biology, immunology, vaccine, genetic, bioinformatic. Link to publications.
Sara Northrup, PhD, RPBio, Research and Development Lead Scientist
Sara’s expertise lies in genetics, conservation, and combining field studies with laboratory experiments to create a well-rounded, evidence-based approach. She has applied these skills to advance fish culture science, and her primary role with the Society is as part of the broodstock management team, where she ensures the genetic health and long-term viability of the broodstock to support sustainable stocked recreational fisheries for the province.
In addition to her broodstock work, Sara evaluates which fish species, strains, sizes, and ploidy perform best in various freshwater environments and their adaptability to climate change. Her research has focused on assessing the performance of trout strains in lakes with mixed species, developing methods to enhance trout survival in high-pH lakes, and investigating differences in catchability among rainbow trout strains.
Research focus keywords: strain evaluation, catchability, pH-tolerance, genetics, aquaculture. Link to publications.
