Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

8.9 RecommendationsThis evaluation <strong>of</strong> the effects <strong>of</strong> contaminants on Fraser River sockeye salmon wasconstrained by a number <strong>of</strong> key data gaps. As insufficient data were available to fullyassess the role <strong>of</strong> contaminant exposures in the declines <strong>of</strong> sockeye salmon over the pasttwo decades or the low returns <strong>of</strong> sockeye salmon to the Fraser River in 2009, severalrecommendations are <strong>of</strong>fered to enhance the probability that the requisite data andinformation are available in the future. These recommendations include:• Effluent monitoring programs for all industrial sectors should be reviewed andevaluated to determine if they provide the necessary and sufficient data tocharacterize effluents and evaluate effects on aquatic ecosystems. The results<strong>of</strong> such monitoring programs should be compiled in a single database that ispublically accessible.• Routine monitoring programs should be developed and implemented toprovide the data needed to characterize exposure <strong>of</strong> sockeye salmon to aquaticcontaminants in the incubation habitats, rearing habitats, and migratory habitatsthat are used by sockeye salmon conservation units;• Such monitoring programs should evaluate water quality, sediment quality, andfish-tissue quality on temporal and spatial scales that are relevant for assessingeffects on sockeye salmon and other key indicators <strong>of</strong> environmental qualityconditions;• Such monitoring programs should address the aquatic contaminants identifiedin this investigation. To help focus such monitoring programs, thecontaminants <strong>of</strong> concern in each area <strong>of</strong> interest have been identified (Table8.1). Near-term priorities should include TSS and streambed substrate qualitymonitoring in incubation habitats, nutrient monitoring in rearing habitats,dissolved metal monitoring in all habitats, and selenium, PCB, andPCDD/PCDF monitoring in all habitats, and selenium, PCB, and PCDD/PCDFmonitoring in fish tissues. It is likely that well-designed surveys will berequired to identify the appropriate scale <strong>of</strong> monitoring for endocrinedisrupting compounds and contaminants <strong>of</strong> emerging concern;• Ambient monitoring programs should also include direct measures <strong>of</strong> effects onsockeye salmon, such as morphology, physiology, en-route mortality, prespawnmortality, and egg viability;140