Clean Production and Toxics

Fish advisories still tough to swallow

Great Lakes fish are a good source of protein, but anglers need to be careful of what fish they eat because of pollution, says a report by Canadian watchdog group Environmental Defence released earlier this summer. While pollution in fish has plagued Great Lake fish for decades, according to the latest advisories, the problem remains severe in many parts of the basin.

The report, Up to the Gills: 2009 Update on Pollution in Great Lakes Fish, analyzes the latest fish advisories published by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in the Guide to Eating Ontario Sports Fish. It looks at eight species of fish in 13 locations across the Great Lakes. Many categories of fish were found to be somewhat or completely unfit for human consumption. The report also looks at fish advisories over a period of time (2005 to 2009), and finds the situation is not improving.

The report published in 2007 showed that in many places fish consumption advisories had become more severe since 2005, particularly in Lake Ontario. The updated report shows that while some areas and species have improved slightly, most advisories remained severe in the lower Great Lakes.

In Lake Ontario for example, 40% of the advisories examined in this report stated that it was unsafe to eat the affected fish in any quantity. Larger fish typically receive more severe advisories because they are generally older and have accumulated more toxins in their tissue but, in Lake Ontario, even small sizes of fish are receiving the most severe advisories.

Lake Superior has the least severe advisories, compared to Huron and Erie which had severe advisories for the larger sizes of the predatory species. Lake Ontario consumption advisories remained extremely high.

The major chemical contaminants that cause consumption advisories for Great Lakes fish include mercury, PCBs, pesticides, dioxins and furans. Health effects of these chemicals include damage to the nervous, respiratory and immune system, as well as cancer.

Almost 400,000 Canadian anglers fish the Great Lakes every year. The commercial and sport fishing industries are estimated to be worth $2.45 billion a year. While the report highlights the benefits of fish in a healthy balanced diet, it does caution consumers to watch what kinds of fish they eat and from where. It stresses the need to consult the advisories guides before consuming any fish caught in the Great Lakes.

The report makes several recommendations on how to protect public health including: improving the information used in fish advisories; enhancing the delivery of fish advisories to high risk groups; preventing fish contamination advisories by reducing pollution from industry, sewage systems, agriculture and urban runoff; and enhancing the Canada-U.S. response when fish in the Great Lakes are threatened.

The report, Up to the Gills: 2009 Update on Pollution in Great Lakes Fish, is available to download for free at www.environmentaldefence.ca and the Guide to Eating Ontario Sports Fish is available at www.ene.gov.on.ca.

Mike Layton is an author of the report and a Program manager for Environmental Defence. He can be reached by e-mail at mlayton@environmentaldefence.ca

© 2009 Great Lakes News.