Environmental Defence Report on Pollution Levels in Great Lakes Fish

Last Friday I attended the launch of a report by Environmental Defence called Up to the Gills: 2009 Update on Pollution in Great Lakes Fish. It compares recent and past fish advisories from Ontario's Ministry of the Environment going back to 2005, and finds that – sadly – the chemical contamination of Great Lakes food fish is generally not improving, except in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

Much of the information in the report was drawn from the provincial government's Guide to Eating Ontario Sports Fish.

Among the report's recommendations are that the public should be better informed about the toxicity of Great Lakes food fish, that pollution from industry, sewage systems, agriculture and urban runoff should be reduced. The report also includes a detailed map of fish consumption advisories over time in various regions across the Great Lakes.

A good, though depressing, reminder that one can't always eat local food.