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Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

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Appendix 2. Reviewer’s Comments and Resp<strong>on</strong>se to CommentsReviewer #3Report Title: <str<strong>on</strong>g>Potential</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> <strong>Sockeye</strong> Salm<strong>on</strong>Reviewer Name: Ken AshleyDate: January 14, 20111. Identify the strengths and weaknesses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this report.The strength <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this report is that it provides a detailed inventory <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminants in the<strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> watershed, and c<strong>on</strong>ducted a risk based analysis using available literaturevalues to determine if various c<strong>on</strong>taminants could have been resp<strong>on</strong>sible for thegradual decline in <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> sockeye stocks over the last 20 years, and the lowreturn <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye to the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> in 2009. The analysis which plotted Rickerlife-cycle residuals against derived Water Quality Index (WQI) scores was innovative.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: No resp<strong>on</strong>se required.The weakness <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the report is that it could <strong>on</strong>ly report <strong>on</strong> available data, and many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>the potential c<strong>on</strong>taminants in the <strong>Fraser</strong> river drainage have incomplete data, hence itwas not possible to assess the magnitude <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> their potential effects <strong>on</strong> various lifehistory stages <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>. For example, no data was available <strong>on</strong> the volume<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> effluent discharges from wood preservative (Table 3.4), seafood processing (Table3.6) and most major mining operati<strong>on</strong>s (Table 3.7).Resp<strong>on</strong>se: Agreed, these data limitati<strong>on</strong>s represent a weakness <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> theevaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>taminant effects <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>.In additi<strong>on</strong>, the analysis relied <strong>on</strong> a variety <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> calculated toxicity indices, which weretypically based <strong>on</strong> traditi<strong>on</strong>al bioassay toxicity tests e.g., 96 hr LC 50 tests (i.e., thec<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a c<strong>on</strong>taminant which would kill 50% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the test organisms in a 96 hourperiod). While these types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> laboratory tests were the scientific and legal standardfor single c<strong>on</strong>taminant testing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> known toxic agents (e.g. pesticides) in the past, theemerging view is that newer and more sensitive tests are required to detect sub-lethaleffects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> various c<strong>on</strong>taminants and endocrine disrupting substances, eitherindividually, or in various combinati<strong>on</strong>s.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: Agreed. The text was revised to clarify how the toxicity thresholdswere identified and to highlight the need for more sensitive indicators toevaluate effects <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> and other aquatic organisms associatedwith exposure to emerging c<strong>on</strong>taminants, such as endocrine disruptors.2. Evaluate the interpretati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the available data, and the validity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> anyderived c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s. Overall, does the report represent the best scientificinterpretati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the available data?The interpretati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the available data and the validity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the derived c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong>A-11

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