Toxic Fish from Great Lakes Unfit to Eat
The fish you catch in the Great Lakes contain high levels of toxins, according to a new report from a Canadian advocacy group Environmental Defence. And government data for at least the last four years indicates the condition of the fish isn’t improving.
The report, “Up to the Gills” focuses on toxic chemicals in fish from the Great lakes by examining advisories published by the Ontario Ministry of Environment for eight species of fish in 13 locations across the Great Lakes.
According to the report, many fish were found to be partly or completely unfit for human consumption, with bigger fish being the worst. Toxins in the fish include mercury from coal-fired power plants, dioxins from industrial plants and pesticides.
Furthermore, the report found that some species of fish like lake trout and large carp around the Toronto area should be avoided altogether.
In addition, the report analyzed advisories between 2005 and 2009 and found that the condition of the fish in the Great Lakes was not improving. Fish from Lake Superior had the lowest contamination level while Lake Ontario had the worst levels of contamination.
Despite its findings, authors of the report say people shouldn’t stop eating fish altogether but, rather, they should be careful about where the fish they eat comes from.
In the provincial publication, the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish, which was central to providing the report’s data, guidelines are given for species tested in waterways across Ontario.
The report also urged Canada’s federal and provincial governments to update the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement which was signed in 1972 to protect and restore the Great Lakes but hasn’t been updated since 1978.
