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Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

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• Compare data <strong>on</strong> water quality c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> to toxicity datafor sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>;• Develop an overall assessment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the suite <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminants (e.g., metals,pesticides) and natural substances (e.g., total suspended solids; TSS) that areencountered by juvenile and adult sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>; and,• Evaluate the extent to which reducti<strong>on</strong>s in <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>abundance are associated with c<strong>on</strong>taminant c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>.1.2 Study ApproachA step-wise approach was developed to evaluate the potential effects <strong>on</strong> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> associated with exposure to c<strong>on</strong>taminants. Implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> theapproach necessitated completi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the following steps:• Identificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the areas and times that sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> could be exposed toaquatic c<strong>on</strong>taminants in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin (this informati<strong>on</strong> was used todefine the geographic and temporal scope <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the study);• Identificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the chemical substances and natural variables that have beenreleased into the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> or its tributaries due to human activities (this list<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> substances was termed the Inventory <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Aquatic <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>taminants</str<strong>on</strong>g>, which arealso referred to as chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern);• Determinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whether any <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern haveoccurred in surface water, sediment, or fish tissues at levels sufficient to posepotential threats to aquatic organisms (this assessment was termed thepreliminary evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern and resulted inidentificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern that required further evaluati<strong>on</strong>);• Determinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whether the c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> any <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>cern in surface water, sediment, or fish tissues in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> or itstributaries were sufficient to adversely affect the survival, growth, orreproducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> (this assessment was termed the evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern);• Evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the potential effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> endocrine disrupting chemicals and otherc<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> emerging c<strong>on</strong>cern <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>;• Identificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> uncertainties in the assessment and key data gaps; and,3

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