Mercury Contamintaion

[WesG]

I have been thinking about this issue for quite a while now and after reading the Robert Kennedy thing I want to know what everyone else thinks. I am wondering how far down or up the line this warning goes. There is a warning for I belive the lower oldman and SSk river. Now I ice fish around here in the winter alot and keep the odd walleye and quite a few whitefish. All our irrigation reservoirs in the south either are fed by, or end up in these rivers. Should I be heeding these warnings even if I am not fishing in these axact rivers? its not something that i am extremely worried about, but its still concerning none the less.

[maxwell]

u make a excellent point dude.. wonder if they have done any studies on these water bodies too see if the mercury gets into th resivoirs fish too?

[Taco]

If you feel like reading here's a recent study on mercury contamination in Pine Coulee and Twin Valley reservoirs. Most of the mercury is from natural sources and comes from the breakdown of vegetation and accumulates in the top soil. The soil then washes downstream and settles out in any slack water basins.

[Smitty]

Hope this link works in terms of pointing it exactly where I want it to; fish consumption guidelines in AB:

 

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fishingregs/

 

It is a good point; I think the regs should be clearer or updated on this point of reservoir impoundments on river systems that have warnings. To be safe, I would follow the consumption guidelines for that river.

 

Recall too that, according to my understanding, mountain whitefish were more susceptible to the dioxin and furan thing due to pupl mills. Lake whitefish - even those coming from river system reservoirs shouldn't be too much of a concern - I could be wrong here - because of a mainly insect diet. Its more of a normal situation to be wary of eating pike and walleye.

 

Smitty

 

[Edit: Attached is word doc of consumption guidelines]

AB_Fish_Consumption_Warning.doc

[WesG]

Usefull info Smitty, thanks!!!