Saving Seafood

Agency says US, Canada fall short on protecting Great Lakes

November 29, 2017 — TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Despite recent improvements, the U.S. and Canada have a long way to go toward ridding the Great Lakes of pollution that endangers human health and the environment, an advisory agency said Tuesday.

Inadequately treated sewage, industrial chemicals and farm runoff are still flowing into the five lakes that provide drinking water for about 40 million people, the International Joint Commission said in its first checkup report since both nations last updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 2012.

The report calls for improving drinking water and sewage treatment facilities, and strengthening clean-water regulations, particularly limits on phosphorus runoff that is largely responsible for explosive growth of harmful algae in Lake Erie. Agencies also should work faster to identify newer types of contamination, such as fire retardant chemicals, and develop strategies for limiting them, the report says.

“While significant progress has been made to restore and protect the lakes, the governments of Canada and the United States and Great Lakes civil society as a whole are living with the costly consequences of past failures to anticipate and prevent environmental problems,” the report says. “By now, it should be clear that prevention makes environmental, economic and common sense.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald

 

Hey, don’t look at us for critter sneaking into lake, trade group says

November 18, 2016 — SANDUSKY, Ohio — There’s a tiny new creature in Lake Erie that’s not supposed to be there.

And the shipping industry that carries cargo in the Great Lakes says it’s being unfairly blamed for the uninvited guest.

Citing a report from scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, an industry trade group is arguing that it’s unfair to blame freighters for the introduction into western Lake Erie of Thermocyclops crassus, a tiny invertebrate plankton that has been found in western Lake Erie near Toledo.

“The best current evidence does not point to ballast water discharges in the past decade as the most likely reason for the recent discovery of T. crassus,” says a fact sheet issued by the Lake Carriers Association. “However, without any supporting scientific data or research to back their claims, the National Wildlife Federation and the Alliance for the Great Lakes have been quick to blame ballast water, particularly recent discharges from foreign vessels, as the vector of introduction.”

As the Sandusky Register reported on Nov. 2, scientists from Cornell University doing research aboard a U.S. EPA boat announced finding the creature in small numbers. While it’s considered non-native, it’s not known yet whether the creature will reproduce in large numbers and become a nuisance, allowing it to obtain “invasive species” status.

Read the full story at the Sandusky Register

Waters Surrounding New York City Contain At Least 165 Million Plastic Particles — Making Its Way Into the Food Supply

February 13, 2016 — The waterways surrounding New York City are a soup of plastic, ranging from discarded takeout containers down to tiny beads that end up in the food supply, according to a new report by an environmental group.

The study, by the group NY/NJ Baykeeper, estimated there are at least 165 million plastic particles floating in New York Harbor and nearby waters at any given time.

The report was based on samples collected by trawlers that plied the city’s East River, the mouth of the Hudson River and New Jersey’s Passaic River and Raritan Bay between March and August 2015.

The average concentration of plastics was 256,322 particles per square kilometer, according to the report.

To maybe nobody’s surprise, the highest concentration, 556,484 particles per square kilometer, was found in New York City’s East River, which separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens and is known for its floating filth.

“It just goes to show you big problems need big solutions,” said Sandra Meola, a spokeswoman for Baykeeper.

The New York-New Jersey study was modeled on a pioneering study of the Great Lakes conducted by Sherri Mason, a chemistry professor at the State University of New York in Fredonia.

That study found plastics pollution in all five lakes, with the highest concentration in Lakes Erie and Ontario, which are ringed by urban centers and industry.

Read the full story at the New York Daily News

Lake Erie fishermen obtain global recognition for sustainable fishing

TORONTO — October 8, 2015 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye (pickerel) fisheries have become the fourth and largest commercial freshwater fishery in the world to achieve MSC certification, demonstrating they are well-managed and environmentally sustainable. They are the first in the Great Lakes to achieve MSC certification and only the second in North America.

With total catches of 3,176 metric tonnes of yellow perch and 2,132 metric tonnes of walleye in 2014 by the now certified vessels, the fisheries will provide a significant volume of MSC certified lake fish to markets in the U.S., Canada and globally. This also signifies an influx of locally sourced, MSC certified fish for the 11.6 million inland inhabitants in the surrounding Canadian and U.S. areas – a rare opportunity for non-coastal communities.

“Our fisheries have a long, rich history, and operating them sustainably is about ensuring our local industry can stay productive and competitive for this and future generations,” said Tim Tiessen, President of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association (OCFA). “Sustainability is the hallmark of our industry so MSC certification is excellent news for the Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye commercial fisheries. The companies buying our fish are looking for ways to prove to their customers that it is responsibly sourced, and the MSC certification allows us to do just that.”

Lake Erie is not only home to one of the world’s largest freshwater commercial fisheries but also the economic backbone of many local communities founded on and supported by the industry. As the most important species harvested, yellow perch and walleye (pickerel) contribute heavily to the area’s 1,490 fishing and processing jobs, provided by independently-owned small and medium sized businesses.

The MSC fishery certificate, initiated and owned by the OCFA, applies to yellow perch landed in Ontario, Canada and in Ohio, United States, and walleye landed in Canadian waters. The Lake Erie fishery is managed cooperatively by Canada and the United States through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC).

“The success of this large project involved the work of many groups and individuals, including fish processors, fishermen, and the Lake Erie Committee, which includes the Lake Managers from the Province of Ontario and four US States bordering Lake Erie,” added Tiessen.

In addition to the fishery certification, two Ontario-based supply chain processors, La Nassa Foods and Presteve Foods Ltd, have also achieved MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification allowing them to purchase and sell Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye as MSC certified. Other OCFA members are eligible to complete CoC certification.

“The MSC is extremely proud to welcome such a significant and iconic fishery into our program,” said Jay Lugar, Program Director for MSC in Canada. “When we think fisheries in Canada we must always consider the importance of commercial freshwater fisheries. As the most credible and recognized standard for sustainable fishing, and in a country known worldwide for its freshwater resources, we are committed to expanding engagement by inland fisheries in Canada. The Lake Erie certification is a tremendous achievement and we hope it will pave the way for more freshwater fisheries to enter the program.

Read a PDF version of the release from the Marine Stewardship Council