Water
Michigan, New York, Minnesota test fisheater’s blood for contaminants
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Blood and urine of volunteers were tested for PCBs, pesticides, mercury, lead and cadmium as part of federal health study.
Wildlife
New river reefs built to encourage fish spawning
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To encourage fish spawning, Michigan Sea Grant and its research and industry partners are laying rock for new spawning habitat in the St. Clair River.
Wildlife
DNR official explains carp DNA discovery
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Worry about an Asian carp invasion intensified recently when the Michigan Department of Natural Resources found silver carp DNA in the Kalamazoo River.
Water
New mercury fish consumption warnings now include benefits of eating uncontaminated fish
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For years, pregnant women have been advised to stay away from eating fish because of their mercury content. But last week’s announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tweaked that advice, making it clear that it is healthy to eat fish without troublesome mercury levels. Fish that are packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids make an extremely healthy meal for the mother and child, as long as it is low in mercury, EPA, FDA and Michigan Department of Community Health officials now officially advise. State and federal health authorities have long advised that eating too many fish meals containing mercury can damage the brain, nervous system and kidneys, and even harm the development of a pregnant woman’s fetus. This is the first time that eating a minimum amount of low mercury fish has been promoted as a guideline when announcing new draft mercury standards.
Water
Fish derby sees dramatic DDT drop after cleanup
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Anglers in a recent fishing derby on Michigan’s Pine River got news far better than pulling in the largest fish. The Environmental Protection Agency recently reported that the fish they sought are much cleaner of DDT than when the competition began 15 years ago. The concentration of the now banned pesticide in fish near the site of the Velsicol chemical manufacturing plant dropped by as much as 98 percent after a multi-million dollar cleanup of polluted river sediment from 2000 to 2006, the EPA said. Tempering the good news is that the fish were so contaminated then that even after the dramatic drop the Michigan Department of Community Health still advises not to eat fish downriver of the site. The contest is strictly catch and release.
Recreation
Researchers study how to keep lures on the line
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Lost lures can expand inside the stomach of fish. They don’t decompose underwater.
Wildlife
Finding a balance in Lake Huron’s fishery
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About a decade ago, Lake Huron’s fishing was not very abundant because of a steep decline in fish numbers. To see how the lake is doing now, Current State’s Melissa Benmark spoke with David Fielder, Fisheries Research Biologist for the Department of Natural Resources and a doctoral student at Michigan State University. Fielder explained that the decline ten years ago was due to ecological changes after the invasion of zebra mussels, quagga mussels and a higher predator abundance.
Water
Au Sable hatchery poses resource, economic questions
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A proposed expansion is indicative of broader issues involving resource protection and the weighing of emerging and established economic forces.
Water
New film showcases Michigan’s Au Sable River
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The River is a new film that tells the story of Michigan’s Au Sable River, covering the famous stream’s logging history of the 1860s, angling heritage, modern threats and spiritual value .
Wildlife
Ontario study: climate change impacts freshwater fish range
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The northern boundaries of sportfish species have moved further north in the past three decades, although the amount of change varied from species to species, according to the study published in the journal “Diversity and Distributions.”