Crater Lake, one of 500 lakes in the study. Photo by Dennis Newman
Here’s an argument for catch-and-release.
A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency is raising questions about the safety of fish caught in America’s lakes and reservoirs. The study looked at fish in 500 lakes across the country, including nine here in Oregon.
What the agency found is that it’s just about impossible to catch a fish that doesn’t have at least some mercury or PCBs. Dioxins and furans were also found in most fish.
But are they safe to eat?
That of course varies greatly depending on where you’re fishing and often how you eat what you catch.
Some more results from the study:
Mercury: The study found “potentially harmful” levels of mercury in fish at 49% of the lakes in the study. Mercury gets into the food chain from the burning of fossil fuels, usually coal.
PCBs: 17% of the lakes studied had fish with unhealthy levels of PCBs, a class of chemicals that can cause cancer.
Dioxins and furans: While at least 8 out of 10 fish in the study had at least some level of these chemicals, unhealthy amounts were found in fish at 8% of the lakes in the study.
Unfortunately, the EPA says its hard to draw conclusions about the safety of the fish caught here in Oregon. It says the sample sizes are too small to make any conclusions. But I’m trying to get data on what they found here.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Human Services does have a list of lakes and rivers with fish advisories. You can find that list here.
