A provincial agency is telling people to cut down on eating fish from Schist Lake, saying fish from the lake have been found to have high rates of a potentially toxic chemical.
Manitoba Environment and Climate Change announced April 19 that it was advising people to limit the amount of fish people eat from Schist Lake, requesting people only eat fish from the lake four times per month or less until further notice.
The department said in the announcement that fish in the lake have shown high amounts of selenium, an element that can be toxic to humans in even small doses. Humans and other living organisms require a very small amount of selenium to function, but too much can have negative effects.
The department said that, aside from the selenium readings, the fish are otherwise safe to eat.
How exactly the selenium ended up in the lake and bioaccumulation in the fish is unknown, as is whether fish caught in lakes connected to Schist Lake, like Lake Athapapuskow, Big Island Lake, White Lake, Payuk Lake and others, are still safe to eat. It is also unknown if fish found to be high in selenium were only found in certain portions of the lake and, if so, which sections they may be.
Selenium can occasionally end up in lake systems as a result of industrial runoff or farming and can bioaccumulate in fish and other species along the food chain. The provincial announcement said the department was "working with industries in the area to find ways to reduce selenium concentrations in Schist Lake."
"Recent fish sampling indicates concentrations of selenium in fish from Schist Lake are elevated compared to historical monitoring. The risk of short- or long-term health effects from consuming fish from Schist Lake is low. This advice applies to all fish species in Schist Lake," reads the announcement.
"The province has reached out to area residents to discuss the fish consumption guidelines and will continue to work with the community."
The department's announcement said more information would be provided later if needed, including if the suggested limit changes.
