Abstract
The Kootenai River’s native Burbot (Lota lota) population was functionally extirpated following intensive harvest and landscape habitat modifications. While efforts to reintroduce Burbot into the river have successfully re-established the native cod, fishery managers have uncertainty about demographic processes governing the Kootenai population and the associated harvest fishery. This thesis quantifies Burbot population processes including recruitment, movement, and survival and investigates demographic consequences in stocking and harvest strategies. Chapter 1 estimates demographic vital rates in the Kootenai Burbot population. The population model from Chapter 1 is then used in Chapter 2 to evaluate management strategies by simulating potential outcomes of different stocking and harvest decisions. Collectively, this thesis aspires to contribute novel and creative thinking about how data, models, and management can be merged to achieve balance between conservation and use.