If these fish could talk…
If these fish could talk…
…they might say, “caution.”
The lower Quinnipiac River offers a bounty of fin-laden delights, such as bluefish and bass – tempting possibilities for a low-cost, high-protein family dinner, but eating these fish too often can be a serious health hazard.
To shed light on Quinnipiac’s fish contamination and consumption risks, the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ), with support from the Quinnipiac River Fund, launched a safe fishing project from 2010 – 2012. Through casual one-on-one conversations, brochure distribution and multi-lingual signage, the CCEJ helped hundreds of fishers on the Quinnipiac River understand the hidden dangers they may be ingesting.
Even when pollution is miles away or many years past, fish can harbor levels of cancer-causing chemicals – such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – thousands of times higher than the water. Chemical spills can elevate PCB levels in fish for years after the spill has ceased, and mercury in air pollution can travel long distances before being deposited into the river.
In Meriden, north of the Quinnipiac River Gorge, a history of heavy pollution makes eating any caught fish (other than stocked trout) ill advised. In the lower Quinnipiac, tidal waters help lessen some pollution, but fish consumption risks still remain high. The CCEJ focused its education efforts on this area, where the river’s proximity to highly populated urban areas and low-income neighborhoods makes fishing for food a popular activity.
To lead the education efforts, CCEJ brought on lifelong fisherman Robert Hudson, who brought an angler’s attitude to the task. Donning casual clothes and often carrying a fishing pole, he spoke with nearly 170 fishers, most of whom said they were not aware of the safe fishing guidelines.
Tidal in nature, the lower Quinnipiac bears the same fish-eating cautions as the Long Island sound: most saltwater fish are safe to eat, except for bluefish longer than 25 inches and striped bass, which should not be eaten by pregnant women, women who plan to become pregnant or children under the age of six. For everyone else, the Department of Public Health recommends no more than one meal a month of these large fish.
Hudson provided fishermen with pamphlets explaining the guidelines, and also explained a practical and simple way they could help reduce contamination of the river and river-caught fish: by switching their lead weights to alloy-encased ones.
Hudson’s education work helped inform CCEJ’s effort to promote a state bill to restrict lead fishing weights, similar to measures that have passed in Maine and New Hampshire. CCEJ also worked with the State Department of Environmental Protection to ensure fish signage is posted in fishing areas in English and Spanish.
The Quinnipiac River Fund has granted $27,000 to the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice for its safe fishing project and broader activities building environmental awareness and safeguarding the health of residents who use the Quinnipiac River.