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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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informati<strong>on</strong> is essential for selecting water quality m<strong>on</strong>itoring stati<strong>on</strong>s that can be used tocharacterize exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to c<strong>on</strong>taminants during each <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> their life historystages (i.e., eggs and alevins, fry, smolts, and adults).2.4 Temporal Scope <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> StudyThe escapement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> has varied substantially over theperiod <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> record and has generally trended downward since the early 1990's (averageescapement for each area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interest are shown in Figure 2.4, while temporal trends insockeye salm<strong>on</strong> productivity for all stocks is presented in Figure 1.1). To determine ifexposure to c<strong>on</strong>taminants represents a causative or c<strong>on</strong>tributing factor in the decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>, it is necessary to compare current c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s in thewatershed to those that have existed historically in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> and its tributarywatersheds. Accordingly, the temporal scope <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this study has been broadly defined toinclude the entire period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> record for which reliable water quality data are available (i.e.,1965 - 2010).11

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