| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
Okanagan Nation people have been catching and consuming resident fish in the Okanagan Valley lakes and rivers for millennia, and some continue to do so. Other people are concerned about the quality of fish, including contaminant levels. Fish are an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and people should be encouraged to eat them. However, concrete information needs to be provided about how much fish of which species people can safely eat so that they can benefit from including resident fish in their diet. This report has three purposes: 1. To compile and analyse historical and current data on fish contaminant concentrations in the Okanagan Nation traditional territory, focusing on resident fish species that people eat or are likely to want to eat (rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, burbot, bass); 2. To review consumption advisory literature from North America; 3. To recommend a sampling protocol for determining if consumption advisories are needed. |
