Don't Eat The Fish

In recent months there has been much in the national and state news about proposals to reduce mercury emissions. Many state environmental groups and sportsmen's groups including the Federation of Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Clubs have taken a strong stance in supporting these reductions in mercury emissions.

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal and is very harmful even at low levels. It affects the brain and central nervous system. Children and infants are most susceptible to its effects.

It is naturally found in extremely low levels all throughout soil, rocks, and minerals in this area. The problem arises when coalburning energy plants release this mercury that has been tied up in the earth into the environment at higher than normal levels. The mercury then falls out over our land and waterways and accumulates in the food chain.

Areas downwind of coal fired energy plants are hardest hit by the mercury deposition. The closer one is to the plant, the higher the concentrations of mercury that fall to the earth during rain and snow precipitation.

Once in a body of water, mercury is converted to methylmercury by bacteria and other processes. Fish absorb methylmercury from their food and from the water passing over their gills. The mercury then builds up in the fat and proteins of the fish. Older animals tend to have higher levels of mercury built up in their tissue than younger animals because they've had more exposure to it over their lifetime.

Eagles, ospreys, turtles, minks, and otters are especially affected by mercury bioaccumulation. These animals eat lots of fish throughout their lives and have the opportunities for having the highest

bioaccumulation of mercury in their tissues. High mercury in these animals affects the nervous system and can cause death, weight loss, and reproductive problems.

For a long time I have thought that since we're located in the middle of nowhere, why do we need to worry about mercury emissions? We are in such a pristine area, and there are no coal burning energy plants nearby.

The truth of the matter is that we are being affected by mercury deposition. It is having a significant impact and build-up in our local environment, despite being so far removed from its sources.

There is not a single stream in Cameron County that doesn't have a fish consumption advisory on it because of mercury levels built up in the fish, and that to me is scary. As a result of mercury building up to unnaturally high levels in the local environment, we shouldn't eat more than one meal of fish caught from local streams per week. A meal is considered a half-pound of fish meat.

Some of our streams have even more restrictive fish consumption advisories than the one meal a week advisory over the majority of our county's streams. The Driftwood Branch from Cameron to Big Run, the First Fork from the Stevenson's Reservoir to its mouth, and the Sinnemahoning Creek from Lower Jerry Run to the confluence with the West Branch in Keating all have more restrictive fish consumption advisors.

For each of these streams you are not supposed to eat more than two meals of fish per month due to the high mercury levels. Smallmouth bass are the main focus of this consumption advisory, but I would imagine that the other wild fish in these streams have equally high mercury levels. Stevenson's Reservoir also has a two meal per month largemouth bass fish consumption advisory for high mercury levels.

Here in remote, pristine Cameron County we are feeling the effects of these high mercury emissions. But there is something we can do. Currently there is an effort within the state to reduce mercury being emitted from power plants. Since the majority of the mercury emitted does tend to fall out near its source, this should go a long way towards reducing this pollution problem.

Let your state representatives and legislators know about your support for mercury reductions in Pennsylvania. If we don't do anything, the problem certainly won't disappear on its own. Mercury doesn't break down and will continue to cycle in the food chain with increasing concentrations as more of it falls from the sky and finds its way into the food chain.



Every evening that I drive down Route 120 past the pull off by the Coke Oven Hole, I get an eerie feeling. On normal summers four out of five evenings there are cars parked here, indicating fishermen on the stream. It really is one of the most popular spots on the Driftwood Branch.

Every time I drive past in the evening and see that this area is vacant, it serves as a reminder that the stream is devoid of basically all fish. It serves as a reminder of the tragedy that happened on June 30 and July 1. All is not well on our county's waters, and we as sportsmen can't rest until things return to normal and restitution is made by those responsible for this disaster.