Guide to eating Ontario fish, 2011 - 2012

2011·8.2 MB·English

2011–2012
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Location identifiersCheck advisories on the new interactive map at The tables are divided into three sections by region: Southern 1www.ontario.ca/fishguideOntario, Northern Ontario and the Great Lakes, as noted along the side of each page. The location index is on page 276.Key to using guide tables Water body name.2 The latitude and longitude; for example, 4537/7942 refers 312846 to 45˚37’N 79˚42’W The township, county, territorial district or geographical S Length/ 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 >75 cm4o Longueur 7 6" 8" 10" 12" 14" 16" 18" 20" 22" 24" 26" 28" 30" >30"udescription of the water body.thLake / Lac erFish species 3Township/Canton, County/Cté 4537/7942n O Name of fish species tested (see “Selection of fish species 84595Northern Piken5Brochett840for testing section,” page 9). The table does not contain all 10ar84i2Walleyespecies present at that particular location.o/2Doré40SuFish lengthd d, The total length of the fish is measured, from the tip of 67e lthe nose to the tip of the tail. The length is expressed in ’5131112Oncentimetres (cm) and inches (") at the top and bottom of tarthe tables.io Number of mealsFor certain locations, consumption advice may be given for specific species Recommended number of meals per month.8 and/or size ranges which are not legal to possess under Ontario’s fishing regula- Advice for general population.9tions. Check the Fishing Ontario, Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary Advice for women of child-bearing age and children under 15 10to ensure that the particular water body is open to fishing or that all fish which (sensitive population).are kept are legal to possess. Copies can be obtained from the Ministry of Natural , No advice provided for these lengths (page 5).1112Resources (1-800-667-1940 or www.mnr.gov.on.ca). To report a fishing violation, Contaminantscall 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or call Crime Stoppers The number identifies the contaminant or group of contaminantanonymously at 1-800-222-8477.13 for which the fish was tested (page 4). pour lequel le poisson a été analysé (page 8).crime, au 1 800 222-8477. Le chiffre indique le contaminant ou le groupe de contaminants sans frais 1 877 847-7667 en tout temps ou téléphonez anonymement à Échec au 13 Contaminantsler une infraction aux lois et règlements régissant la pêche, téléphonez à la ligne des Richesses naturelles (1 800 667-1940 ou www.mnr.gov.on.ca/fr/). Pour signa-longueurs (page 9).mis de conserver tous les poissons pêchés. On peut l’obtenir auprès du ministère , Aucune recommandation fournie pour les poissons de ces 1112pour savoir si la pêche est permise sur un plan d’eau en particulier et s’il est per-enfants de moins de 15 ans (population sensible).Résumé des règlements de la pêche sportive en Ontariol’Ontario. Consultez le Recommandation pour les femmes en âge de procréer et les 10ou pour des poissons dont la taille interdit la capture en vertu des règlements de Recommandation pour la population générale.9donnés pour des espèces de poissons qu’il est interdit d’avoir en sa possession Nombre recommandé de repas par mois.8Pour certains endroits, des renseignements sur la consommation peuvent être Nombre de repas (cm) et en pouces (po) (en haut et au bas du tableau).5131112mandibules au bout de la queue. Elle est exprimée en centimètres , La longueur totale du poisson est mesurée de la pointe des 67 Longueur du poisson40Doré2Walleyeespèces présentes au plan d’eau particulier. 842 840Brochet10à analyser », à la page 15). Le tableau ne renferme pas toutes les 5Northern Pike8495 Nom des espèces analysées (voir la section « Choix des espèces 5Township/Canton, County/Cté 4537/79423Espèces de poissonsLake / Lac plan d’eau. 6" 8" 10" 12" 14" 16" 18" 20" 22" 24" 26" 28" 30" >30"7 Longueur 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 >75 cm Length/ Canton, comté, district territorial ou description géographique du 4 latitude nord et 79˚ 42’ de longitude ouest).2846 Latitude et longitude (p. ex., 4537/7942 veut dire 45˚ 37’ de 3 Nom du plan d’eau.GuideComment se servir du 2 verticale. L’index des lieux de pêche est à la page 276.de l’Ontario et Grands Lacs. La région est indiquée en marge, à la www.ontario.ca/guidepoisson Les tableaux sont divisés en trois régions : Sud de l’Ontario, Nord 1Vérifiez les mises en garde sur la carte interactive à Emplacement des plans d’eau
Guide to
Eating Ontario
Sport Fish
2011-2012
Twenty-sixth Edition, Revised
©Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2011
This book may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with
appropriate attribution.
ISSN 0826-9653 (Print)
ISBN 978-1-4435-4732-1 (Print, 2011-2012 ed.)
ISSN 1712-8269 (Online)
ISBN 978-1-4435-4733-8 (PDF, 2011-2012 ed.)
A limited number of copies of this book are available from:
Public Information Centre
Ministry of the Environment
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1P5
416-325-4000 / 1-800-565-4923
[email protected]
Cover illustration by Trevor Tennant
Distributed free of charge
PIBS 590B15
Contents
Summary of critical information....................................................... 2
Instructions on use of the guide ....................................................... 3
Key to using guide tables........................................................... 3
To determine how much fish you can consume ........................................4
Contaminants in Ontario sport fish..................................................... 5
The basis for fish consumption advisories............................................... 6
Important advice for women of child-bearing age and children............................. 6
What part of the fish can be safely consumed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Consumption advisory tables.......................................................... 7
Who should use this guide?......................................................... 7
Consumption advisories for spawning locations of salmon and trout .....................8
Species not included. ..............................................................8
The Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program ........................................ 9
Selection of locations and species for testing.......................................... 9
Collection of fish for testing .......................................................10
Retesting of locations............................................................. 10
Testing of fish ...................................................................10
Benefits versus risks of eating fish .................................................... 10
Reducing the risk from contaminants in sport fish ....................................11
Other consumption concerns......................................................... 12
Gobies.......................................................................... 12
Fish eggs .......................................................................12
Clams ..........................................................................12
Snapping turtles .................................................................12
Fish parasites ...................................................................12
Tumours in fish ..................................................................13
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)................................................ 14
Botulism E .....................................................................14
E. coli bacteria ..................................................................14
Microcystins ....................................................................14
Fish “die-offs” ...................................................................14
Fish information ................................................................... 15
How to release fish............................................................... 15
Preserving and preparing your fish for cooking....................................... 15
Contaminants in fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Inorganic substances .............................................................16
Organic substances............................................................... 16
Pesticides....................................................................... 18
Other contaminants ..............................................................18
Causes of fish consumption advisories................................................. 19
The history of sport fish contaminant monitoring in Ontario .............................. 20
Additional information .............................................................. 22
Addresses ......................................................................... 23
Southern Ontario tables ............................................................. 26
Northern Ontario tables ............................................................ 120
Great Lakes tables................................................................. 239
Location index.................................................................... 276
Fish names ....................................................................... 284
Fish identification ....................................................... (centre pages)
Great Lakes fish and your health .......................................... (centre pages)
1
Preface Updates
About the guide Any major changes in consumption advice
that arise between guide publications are
This 26th edition of the Guide to Eating
made public on our website.
Ontario Sport Fish gives advice for eating sport
fish found at more than 1,950 locations around Report pollution or spills
the province including over 100 new locations.
To report pollution and/or related fish
The format of the guide is unchanged from kills, contact your nearest Ministry of the
the previous edition. However, there are Environment office or the Ministry’s Spills
many updates to the advisory tables reflecting Action Centre (see page 23).
revised guidelines for some contaminants
Online survey
as well as approximately 60,000 test results
performed on about 10,000 fish. In the past, valuable feedback has been
provided by users of the guide. We continue
All users of the guide are advised to read
to welcome any comments you may have
the introduction prior to proceeding to
and invite you to complete a short survey
the consumption tables. This is especially
available on our website.
important for the sensitive population:
women of child-bearing age and children Questions?
under 15, for which separate advisories Consumers with questions on the status
are provided. of specific consumption advisories should
Staff from the Ontario Ministry of Natural contact the Sport Fish Contaminant
Resources and Ministry of the Environment Monitoring Program.
collect the fish which are then analyzed for Anyone requiring information on fishing
a variety of substances, including mercury, licenses, angling regulations, limits of catch,
PCBs, mirex, DDT and dioxins. The results open seasons, provincial parks, maps or
are used to develop the advisory tables hunting should contact a Ministry of Natural
which give size-specific consumption advice Resources office (see page 24) or visit their
for each species tested from each location. web site at www.mnr.gov.on.ca.
The guide is published every other year. To obtain detailed data for a specific
A new interactive version of the guide is location tested under the Sport Fish
available at www.ontario.ca/fishguide. Contaminant Monitoring Program or for
additional information on the results in this
New interactive map and previous guides, please contact:
A new interactive and user-friendly
Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program
searchable map is also available on the
Ministry of the Environment
website and displays all water bodies
125 Resources Road
from the guide with their corresponding
Etobicoke, ON M9P 3V6
consumption advisories. The map can
Telephone: [phone] or
be searched for consumption advice by:
1-800-820-2716
• lake, river or stream name
E-mail: [email protected]
• address, community, township, or city
• fish species
The interactive map will help anglers
identify species and angling destinations
with lower contaminant levels.
2 Introduction
It is highly recommended that you read the entire introduction
to the guide before referring to the advisory tables. Should you
choose not to, please read the following two sections entitled
“Summary of critical information” and “Instructions on use of
the guide” with page references for more detail.
Summary of • Always follow proper food handling and
critical information storage techniques, as you would with
any fresh meat product, to prevent the
• Young children and developing fetuses are growth of harmful bacteria (page 14).
affected by contaminants at lower levels
• Great Lakes salmon and trout are more
than the general population (page 6).
likely to have high levels of contaminants
• Consumption advice is based on the such as PCBs and dioxins/furans. Check
skinless, boneless dorsal fillet (page 10). the consumption tables and consume only
Do not eat organs of any fish. Fish organs the skinless, boneless dorsal fillet of these
can be high in both heavy metals and fish (page 7). The flesh on the lower
pesticides (page 7). portion of the fish (belly) has a higher
• Consumption advice in the tables is based fat content and therefore can have higher
on an average meal size of 227 grams levels of some contaminants.
(eight ounces; approximately the length • At inland locations mercury is the major
of a dinner plate) for an average size adult contaminant. Because mercury is
weighing 70 kilograms (154 pounds). It is distributed evenly throughout the fillet,
assumed that smaller individuals will
in most cases the full side fillet can be
consume a smaller portion and larger
consumed (page 7). Refer to the
individuals will consume a larger portion.
consumption tables.
If you are an average size adult and your
• Top predators, such as walleye and pike,
average meal size is substantially less
usually have the highest mercury levels.
than 227 grams (eight ounces), you may
Smaller, younger fish and fish that are not
consume more meals than recommended.
top predators, such as panfish and yellow
Conversely, if your meal size is substantially
more than 227 grams (eight ounces), perch, are lower in contaminants. You can
you should consume fewer than the reduce your contaminant intake by
recommended number of meals. Contact choosing these fish to eat (page 11).
the Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring • If in doubt, contact the Sport Fish
Program for more specific advice. Contaminant Monitoring Program
• Do not harvest dead or dying fish as they (416-327-6816, 1-800-820-2716 or
may contain harmful microorganisms or [email protected]).
toxins (page 14). • Before going fishing, ensure that it is legal
to fish in the area and that you have the
required license (www.mnr.gov.on.ca).
Introduction 3
Instructions on use of the guide
Key to using guide tables
The guide provides sport fish consumption advice based on the level of contaminants found
in fish according to their location, species and length. The water body names and locations
were obtained from the Gazetteer of Canada (Ontario) or the Canadian Geographical Names
Service. The location description includes latitude and longitude, enabling anglers to refer
to the Ontario Official Road Map (which is marked accordingly) to determine the general
location of the body of water. Larger scale topographical maps can then be used if necessary
to pinpoint the exact location. The following is a key to the various components of the
tables, using a hypothetical example called Lake.

Location identifiers Fish length
1 The tables are divided into three 6, 7 The total length of the fish is
sections by region: Southern Ontario, measured, from the tip of the nose to the
Northern Ontario and the Great Lakes, tip of the tail. The fish length is expressed
as noted along the side of each page. The in both centimetres (cm) and inches (“) at
alphabetical location index is on page 276. the top and bottom of the tables.
2 Water body name. Number of meals
3 The latitude and longitude; for example, 8 Recommended number of meals
4537/7942 refers to 45˚37’N 79˚42’W per month
4 The township, county, territorial district 9 Advice for general population
or geographical description of the 10 Advice for women of child-bearing
water body. age and children under 15
(sensitive population)
Fish species
5 Name of fish species tested (see 11, 12 No advice provided for these
“Selection of fish species for testing” lengths (page 5)
section, page 9). The table does not
Contaminants
contain all species present at that
13 The number identifies the contaminant
particular location, only those that have
or group of contaminants for which the
been tested for contaminants.
fish was tested:
4 Introduction
1. Mercury the French River), Northern Ontario and the
2. Mercury, PCBs, mirex/photomirex Great Lakes. The alphabetical location index
and pesticides is on page 276.
3. PCBs, mirex/photomirex Step 2: Identify the type of fish caught.
and pesticides Refer to the centre pages for more
4. Mercury, PCBs and mirex information on how to identify fish generally
5. Mercury, other metals, PCBs, found in Ontario waterbodies.
mirex/photomirex and pesticides Step 3: Measure the total length of the
6. Mercury and other metals fish (tip of nose to tip of tail) and refer to
7. Dioxins and furans the appropriate length range at the top or
bottom of the table.
8. Chlorinated phenols and
chlorinated benzenes Step 4: Check for the advisory. The upper
9. Polycyclic aromatic row of advice (no shading) is for the general
hydrocarbons (PAHs) population and the lower row (grey shading)
10. Dioxins, furans and is for women of child-bearing age and
dioxin-like PCBs children under 15 (sensitive population).
The number that appears in the
11. PCB congeners
consumption advice box represents the
12. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
maximum number of meals of that size fish
(PBDEs) and polychlorinated
from that location that can be consumed
naphthalenes (PCNs)
each month, provided that sport fish are
13. Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) not consumed from any other category. The
The fact that fish were tested for a particular number of meals per month (categories)
group of contaminants does not mean that may be 8, 4, 2, 1, or 0 as indicated.
the fish will contain any or all of these
Example
contaminants. For example, fish analyzed
An angler catches a 33 cm (13 in.) walleye
for contaminant group 2 may contain only
from Lake and wants to determine the
mercury and not PCBs, mirex/photomirex
suitability of that fish for consumption. The
or pesticides.
angler should:
In a number of locations, particularly inland
• Find Lake in the guide tables
locations, fish are analyzed only for mercury
as this is likely to be the only contaminant to
cause consumption restrictions.
For more details on the contaminants
listed above, see the “Contaminants in fish”
section on page 16.
• General population:
To determine how much For the general population the advice given
fish you can consume: for walleye in the 30-35 cm (12-14 in.) range
is 8, indicating that eight meals per month
Step 1: Find the table for the water body
of that fish can be safely consumed by the
where the fish was caught. The guide tables
general population.
are divided into Southern Ontario (south of
Introduction 5
• Sensitive population: For example:
For women of child-bearing age and If you eat:
children under 15 the advice given for • Two meals in the four-meal-per-month
walleye in the 30-35 cm (12-14 in.) range is 4, category, each meal will represent one-
indicating that four meals per month of that quarter or 25% of your maximum monthly
fish can be safely consumed by women of advised consumption for a total of one-half
child-bearing age and children under 15. or 50% of your maximum monthly advised
consumption (2 meals x 1⁄4 = ½ or 50%).
Consumption of fish outside
the advisory table range and also eat
Advisories are provided only for the size • One meal in the two-meal-per-month
ranges of fish that were tested. Since it category, that meal will represent one-half
is well known that contaminant levels or 50% of your monthly advised
generally increase with fish length, the consumption (1 meal x ½ = ½ or 50%).
following rules can be applied:
The total from these two groups equals 1 or
• For fish smaller than the advisory table 100%. Therefore, you would have reached
range: Follow the advice for the smallest your total monthly advised consumption.
tested range.
If you have any questions on determining
• For fish larger than the advisory table
a safe level of consumption, contact the
range: Consumption advice cannot
Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring
be predicted, except that it is likely to
Program at 416-327-6816, 1-800-820-2716
be more restrictive than the largest
or [email protected].
tested range.
Step 5: Keep track of your total monthly Contaminants in
intake. Sport fish consumption advice is Ontario sport fish
based on a combination of fish size, species
Ontario is not unique in having consumption
and location. You may eat fish from different
restrictions on sport fish. Most jurisdictions in
categories and locations as long as you
North America also have them. An extensive
track your consumption accordingly. Track
review of consumption restrictions on sport
each fish meal as a fraction or percentage of
fish in North America is available on the
your total monthly intake (as shown in the
Internet at www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/.
following chart), the sum of which should
not exceed 1 (for the fraction) or 100%. Contaminants found in sport fish originate
not only from local sources, but some are
transported thousands of kilometres in the

atmosphere before being deposited with
rainfall. Mercury, PCBs and toxaphene are a
few of the contaminants that are known to
be transported long distances and can cause
low-level contamination even in isolated
lakes and rivers.
6 Introduction
The basis for fish Important advice
consumption advisories for women of
Fish consumption advisories are based child-bearing age and
on guidelines developed by the Food children under 15
Directorate of Health Canada which,
It is important that women of
through research and review of toxicological
child-bearing age and children
data, has determined safe dosages for an
under 15 (sensitive population)
extensive list of contaminants. This amount
follow the advice in this guide.
is referred to as a tolerable daily intake. It
Scientific studies show that developing
is then determined what proportion of the
fetuses and young children are affected
tolerable daily intake comes from each of
by contaminants at lower levels than
the environmental pathways such as air,
the general population. Women of child-
water and different types of food, including
bearing age, including pregnant women
sport fish. The safe dosage for mercury is
and nursing mothers, can affect the
lower for the sensitive population of women
health of their offspring through a
of child-bearing age and children under 15. diet elevated in contaminants such
For the other contaminants, the safe dosage as mercury and PCBs. As such, this
is the same for both populations, but as sensitive population is advised to eat
an added precaution, it is advised that the only the least contaminated fish (in the
sensitive population consume fish only in 8 and 4 meals per month categories), as
the 8 and 4 meal per month categories, reflected in the consumption advisory
as reflected in the consumption tables. The exact number of meals that
advisory tables. can be consumed can be calculated
by following the directions in the
A series of estimates and calculations is then
“Instructions on use of the guide”
done by the Ministry of the Environment to
section (page 3).
determine if fish are suitable for consumption
based on measured contaminant levels. Fish These individuals should further reduce
represented in the eight-meals-per-month their consumption of sport fish if they
category have very low contaminant levels. regularly consume (i.e. four times per
Conversely, fish designated as zero (0) meals month or more often) commercial fish
per month have high contaminant levels including canned fish, and should
not consume sport fish if they are
and the consumption of any meals of these
consumers of shark, swordfish, fresh
fish would result in individuals exceeding
or frozen tuna. Health Canada suggests
their tolerable daily intake for one or more
that predatory fish such as shark,
contaminants. If sport fish are consumed
swordfish, fresh and frozen tuna (not
as advised in this guide, an individual’s
canned) should be consumed only
tolerable daily intake would not be
occasionally. As a general guideline,
exceeded for any contaminant measured.
reduce consumption of sport fish by
one meal per month for every two
meals of store-bought fish. This does
not apply to the general population.
For further advice on store-bought fish,
contact the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency or Health Canada (see page 24).