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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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the potential effects <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> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> are sound andscientifically defensible.The two core c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s, subject to the availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> existing data, is:(1) that the exposure to various c<strong>on</strong>taminants in surface water, sediments and fishtissues was not the primary factor resp<strong>on</strong>sible for the low returns <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>sockeye in 2009, and(2) that there is a possibility that exposure to various c<strong>on</strong>taminants has c<strong>on</strong>tributed tothe decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye abundance in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> over the past 20 years.Overall, this report represents the best scientific interpretati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>potential and known c<strong>on</strong>taminants in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> basin <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>,subject to the availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> existing data and c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al methodologies for derivingtoxicity thresholds and indices.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: No resp<strong>on</strong>se is required.3. Are there additi<strong>on</strong>al quantitative or qualitative ways to evaluate the subjectarea not c<strong>on</strong>sidered in this report? How could the analysis be improved?Given the limitati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> the available data, I do not believe there are any quantitative orqualitative ways to evaluate the potential effects <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>sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> that have not been c<strong>on</strong>sidered in this report. The idea to plot Rickerlife-cycle residuals against derived Water Quality Index (WQI) scores was aninnovative combinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fisheries science and ecotoxicology.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: No resp<strong>on</strong>se is required.Subject to the availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> existing data, and the large number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potentialc<strong>on</strong>taminants, I do not believe the analysis could be substantially improved.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: No resp<strong>on</strong>se is required.Substantial improvements in the report could <strong>on</strong>ly be achieved by c<strong>on</strong>ducting newsub-lethal and cumulative effects tests; however, this was outside the scope and terms<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> reference for this report.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: Agree. Such sub-lethal and cumulative effects tests wouldprovide valuable informati<strong>on</strong> for evaluating the effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminantexposures <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>.4. Are the recommendati<strong>on</strong>s provided in this report supportable? Do you haveany further recommendati<strong>on</strong>s to add?The recommendati<strong>on</strong>s provided in this report are supportable.Resp<strong>on</strong>se: No resp<strong>on</strong>se is required.A-12

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