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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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uncertainties in the exposure assessment. The results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the uncertainty analysis indicatedthat there are a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> key data gaps that substantively affect the c<strong>on</strong>fidence that canbe placed in the 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> c<strong>on</strong>taminants <strong>on</strong> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>. The most important <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these uncertainties is the general absence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> datathat describe the nature and extent (both spatial and temporal) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> by totalsuspended solids, major i<strong>on</strong>s, nutrients, metals, and other chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern inspawning and rearing habitats within the watershed. In additi<strong>on</strong>, data <strong>on</strong> thec<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> endocrine disrupting chemicals and other c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> emergingc<strong>on</strong>cern are generally lacking throughout the study area.ES1.6 C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s and Recommendati<strong>on</strong>sThis study was c<strong>on</strong>ducted to determine if aquatic c<strong>on</strong>taminants caused or substantiallyc<strong>on</strong>tributed to declines in the abundance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> over the past two decadesand/or the low returns <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> in 2009. While limitati<strong>on</strong>s<strong>on</strong> the available data make it difficult to answer this questi<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>clusively, the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>this study suggest that:• Exposure to c<strong>on</strong>taminants in surface water, sediments, or fish tissues is not theprimary factor influencing the productivity or abundance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> over the past 20 years or in 2009.• There is a str<strong>on</strong>g possibility that exposure to c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern,endocrine disrupting chemicals, and/or c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> emerging c<strong>on</strong>cern hasc<strong>on</strong>tributed to the decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> abundance in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>Basin over the past 20 years.This evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminants <strong>on</strong> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> wasc<strong>on</strong>strained by a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> key data gaps. As insufficient data were available to fullyassess the role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminant exposures in the declines <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> over the pasttwo decades or the low returns <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> in 2009, a number<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> recommendati<strong>on</strong>s are <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fered to enhance the probability that the data and informati<strong>on</strong>required to c<strong>on</strong>duct a more comprehensive evaluati<strong>on</strong> are available in the future.iv

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