Methods to develop consumption advice for methylmercury‐contaminated walleye harvested by Ojibwe Tribes in the 1837 and 1842 ceded territories of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, USA

Abstract

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission produces consumption advisories for methylmercury in walleye (Sander vitreus) harvested by its member tribes in the 1837 and 1842 ceded territories of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, USA. Lake-specific advice is based primarily on regressions of methylmercury concentrations on walleye length and incorporates standard reference doses to generate recommended meal frequencies. The effects of variability and uncertainty are directly incorporated into the consumption advice through confidence bounds for the general population and prediction bounds for the sensitive population. Advice is tailored to the needs of the tribes because harvest and consumption of fish are culturally important. Data were sufficient to provide consumption advice for 293 of the 449 lakes assessed. Most of these carried a recommendation of no more than 4 meals per month for the general population and no more than 1 meal per month for the sensitive population.

Introduction: The Evolution of Environmental Justice Activism, Research, and Scholarship

“…13 However, these tended to be primarily descriptive, so they lacked historical and theoretical frameworks. Several of the studies have found that minorities are more likely to consume toxic food than are Whites~Beehler, Vena, 2001, 2003;Calderon et al, 1993;Chess, Burger, and McDermott, 2005;Hightower, O'Hare, and Hernandez, 2006;Judd, O'Neil, and Kalman, 2003;LaDuke, 1999;Madsen et al, 2007;Nordenstam and Darkwa, 2010;Pallo and Barken, 2010;Sechena et al, 2003;West, 1992;West et al, 1992!. Several of the studies have found that minorities are more likely to consume toxic food than are Whites~Beehler, Vena, 2001, 2003;Calderon et al, 1993;Chess, Burger, and McDermott, 2005;Hightower, O'Hare, and Hernandez, 2006;Judd, O'Neil, and Kalman, 2003;LaDuke, 1999;Madsen et al, 2007;Nordenstam and Darkwa, 2010;Pallo and Barken, 2010;Sechena et al, 2003;West, 1992;West et al, 1992!.…”

Mercury policy in the Great Lakes states: past successes and future opportunities

“…All eight of the US Great Lakes states have statewide fish consumption advisories for MeHg. Moreover, while the Great Lakes are a relatively small commercial fishery in comparison with marine fisheries, the Great Lakes Basin is an important center for recreational and tribal fishing (Madsen et al 2008 Given these factors, it seems appropriate that Hg has been identified as a high priority for the Great Lakes region. The 1985 Report of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board identified 11 critical pollutants, including Hg.…”

Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) Mercury Unaffected by Wildland Fires in Northern Minnesota

“…In the northern boreal and deciduous forests of the Great Lakes region, understanding the relationship between wildland fire and Hg cycling is particularly important. Lakes in this region are used extensively for both recreational and subsistence fishing (Imm et al, 2005; Madsen et al, 2008). Furthermore, fire is an integral component of ecosystem functioning in this region, with both wild and prescribed fires occurring regularly (Heinselman, 1973).…”