Study: Sound orcas eating more toxic salmon

[Sushihunter]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_salmon_orcas.html


Study: Sound orcas eating more toxic salmon
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE -- A new study suggests that Puget Sound killer whales appear to be more contaminated than northern orcas because they're eating salmon that is more toxic.

Researchers measuring the presence of toxic chemicals in chinook salmon, a prime food for the whales, found higher levels in salmon from Puget Sound than from British Columbia waters.

Canadian and Washington scientists found that chinook from Puget Sound had lower fat content and were less nutritious than salmon tested further north.

Researchers think the low fat content is leading Puget Sound orcas to eat 50 percent more salmon, leading to more toxic exposure.

The researchers tested adult salmon and smolts from the Duwamish River in Seattle and the Tumwater Falls Hatchery on the Deschutes River near Olympia. They also tested salmon from the Johnstone Strait and the mouth of the Fraser River in British Columbia.


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[gamechanger]

I think that these whales are going to start cutting into the Southern Vancouver Island chinook fishery now that DFO and reserachers are getting a better idea of their diet and how much chinook salmon they actually do need to survive...don't be surprised to see the fishery change because of this.

 

[likwit]

i guess this means that i am eating toxic salmon too! [:0]

 

[cuttlefish]

Thanks for the story Sushihunter,
Here's a link to the study; http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.1_148.pdf

It's a sad state of affairs and a heads up to where our salmon, whales and selves are headed.

 

[beemer]

thanks Sushihunter always good postings. Just to put it in perspective ,for humans to reach the same level of toxicity it would require a daily consumption of 3 pounds of raw salmon (conservatively) for 20 years to get to the same level that the local population of killer whales has. The news article does miss some pretty key points as to where PCBs and PBDES come from , but its a start. It seems that it's nessasary for a few humans to die before people start getting it!