Would anyone eat anything out of the NSR?

JessePat · #1 06-16-2009, 11:39 AM

Pretty much the title of the thread has said it all. The city of edmonton states that fish should only be consummed once a week due to naturally occuring high levels of mercury found in the fish, and should not be eating by pregnant women...ect ect. I will start off by saying that I caught my first gold eye this year and I was humming and hawing about if I should eat it or not and I decided that I had an iron stomach and I had to try it. I lived through the experience and it was delicous. I don't know if I would eat another one just because I am sure the water quality is horrible. Has anyone else eaten anything out of there?

Sundancefisher · #2 06-16-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JessePat

Pretty much the title of the thread has said it all. The city of edmonton states that fish should only be consummed once a week due to naturally occuring high levels of mercury found in the fish, and should not be eating by pregnant women...ect ect. I will start off by saying that I caught my first gold eye this year and I was humming and hawing about if I should eat it or not and I decided that I had an iron stomach and I had to try it. I lived through the experience and it was delicous. I don't know if I would eat another one just because I am sure the water quality is horrible. Has anyone else eaten anything out of there?

No...never...not in a million years...gross...

all that comes to mind. Just one days fishing with toilet paper made that decision for me. Storm effluent, sewer treatment plants etc... Why would you want to eat a fish from there.

jacobin · #3 06-16-2009, 12:19 PM

I ate a Ling cod I caught out of the NSR, it was delicious! BBQ with some lemon and butter. I would not suggest eating fish out of the NSR on a regular basis but once in awhile you won't have a problem.

As for dirty water, yeah it might not be the cleanest but I have seen enough guys ****in' off boats into lakes during my time on the water that I don't think there are many pristine local lakes left.

slingshotz · #4 06-16-2009, 12:57 PM

Farmed fish can be much worse than fish from any waterbody here in Alberta. You probaby don't want to know what types of environments farmed fish from foreign countries really live in

There's a stereotype that the waters below water treatment plants are basically dumping out raw sewage. If you actually talk to anyone running those plants, they'll tell you it's very stringent the water quality they can discharge back into the rivers. Storm drains are a different matter though, there is a lot of crap people throw away that drains directly into the rivers sadly.

pdfish · #5 06-16-2009, 01:22 PM

Your question is a little vague. The headwaters of the NSR are pristine, whereas by the time it gets to Saskatchewan, it probably leaves a little to be desired. Regardless, the answer is yes (in moderation) from Edmonton down and absolutely yes if it was upstream of the city. I'd be more concerned eating fish from some lakes that get lots of agricultural/cottage run-off than I would be from upstream of the city.

Bushrat · #6 06-16-2009, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JessePat

The city of edmonton states that fish should only be consummed once a week due to naturally occuring high levels of mercury found in the fish, and should not be eating by pregnant women...ect ect.

You do realize that it says the mercury is 'naturally' occuring. The mercury has been in the river since the beginning of time, long before Edmonton existed and will be there long after edmonton is gone. It leaches out of the surrounding landscape and aquifers that feed the whole length of the river. It does not come from any sewage or wastewater discharge. The waste water effluent is one of the reasons fish thrive in the N. Sask and other rivers like the Bow that flow through Calgary, the nutrients that this wastewater provides to the river provides a fertile habitat for all the planctons, invertebrates and insects that form the basis of the foodchain in these rivers and help make the fishery as rich as it is.

Sundancefisher · #7 06-16-2009, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bushrat

You do realize that it says the mercury is 'naturally' occuring. The mercury has been in the river since the beginning of time, long before Edmonton existed and will be there long after edmonton is gone. It leaches out of the surrounding landscape and aquifers that feed the whole length of the river. It does not come from any sewage or wastewater discharge. The waste water effluent is one of the reasons fish thrive in the N. Sask and other rivers like the Bow that flow through Calgary, the nutrients that this wastewater provides to the river provides a fertile habitat for all the planctons, invertebrates and insects that form the basis of the foodchain in these rivers and help make the fishery as rich as it is.

Waste water in the NSR does not have the same benefit as in the Bow. They are two entirely different types of river. The NSR is a prairie river and as such there is enough sediment load and nutrients in the system providing plenty of sustainable biomass. The Bow was a more pristine mountain river that was not as nutrient rich due to the water velocities etc. Therefore the added phosphorous and nitrogen really impacted it. An interesting observation was always to walk from just upstream of the sewage outlet on the Crowsnest to below. There is actually a well defined line in the river where the productivity as easily seen by the algae shows.

Long story short there is a release rate and water quality requirement for sewage treatment plants as well as pulp and paper mills etc. When they require it however they are "allowed" direct releases or in the case of pulp mills...increased flush rates.

I have personally witnessed a number of "emergency" sewage releases when fishing in the NSR. Granted it was over 10 years ago but they were fairly common. Things may have changed but I am sure there are events once and a while.

If you have to eat anything...fillet, remove the skin, rinse thoroughly and above all don't eat internal organs and cook well.

JessePat · #8 06-16-2009, 03:07 PM

YOu are right about being vague, I am talking eating something after it has passed through Edmonton. Let's say Fort Saskatchewan for example. And as for the naturally occuring, I am aware that mercury content is found in the wild and that older and larger fish, lets say Halibut, have higher levels of mercury, however pollution causes higher levels of mercury in the fish.

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans and is turned into methylmercury in the water. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters and so it builds up in them. It builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others, depending on what the fish eat, which is why the levels vary.

So besides the mercury contect, which we know about, and can be consumed in a moderate amount. Is there enough polution in the river to cause harm? Or do you think it's just a gross factor not a danger factor of why people wouldn't eat out of it?

Sooner · #9 06-16-2009, 11:50 PM

Years ago, like 20 or more my uncle would keep goldeyes and smoke them, no one would get sick back then and they were tasty Im told. Dont know of anyone keeping a fish for a meal anymore though.

Deano · #10 06-17-2009, 12:03 AM

I find it interesting when people talk about a poluted river or lake. If people saw where most of the chicken, beef and pork came from a lot would eat more fish. I fore one am not a big fish eater but do enjoy walleye and perch from time to time. I agree about not eating skin our organs but besides that I say eat away.

On a side note, if you are a smoker who cares where fish come from.

Deano