vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
- K:,
Fish and ShelDfish Program
NEWSLETTER
April 2017
EPA 823-N-17-004
In This Issue
Recent Advisory News	1
EPA News	3
Other News	6
Recent Publications	11
Upcoming Meetings
and Conferences	12
This edition of the Fish and Shellfish Program Newsletter generally focuses on tribal
issues associated with fish and shellfish.
Recent Advisory News
^v»kes/v Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife
Commission Develops Lake-specific
Muskellunge Consumption Advice
The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) is a
tribal natural resource agency representing eleven Ojibwe tribes in
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. GLIFWC's member tribes harvest and consume
muskellunge as part of a subsistence diet. This species is the largest subsistence fish
within inland waters of the tribes' treaty ceded territories. Muskellunge are highly
piscivorous, residing at the top of the aquatic food web within these lakes, and therefore
contain high concentrations of mercury.
Since 2011, GLIFWC has made an
effort to increase the amount of

This newsletter provides information
only. This newsletter does not
impose legally binding requirements
on the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), states, tribes, other
regulatory authorities, orthe
regulated community. The Office of
Science and Technology, Office of
Water, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has approved this newsletter
for publication. Mention of trade
names, products, orsen/ices does
not convey and should not be
interpreted as conveying official EPA
approval, endorsement, or
recommendation for use.
https: / /www.eDa.gov/fish-tech
This newsletter provides a monthly summary of news about fish and shellfish
1
available mercury data for
muskellunge, collecting and
testing 189 fish from inland lakes
for mercury. These data, in
combination with existing
GLIFWC and state (Minnesota,
Wisconsin, and Michigan) data,
were used to develop lake-specific
consumption advice for 47 lakes Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy). (Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and
within the ceded territories,	Wildlife Service, Eric Engbreston)
primarily in Wisconsin. The
advice, final on April 7, 2016, was generated for both the general (men 15 years and older
and women beyond childbearing age) and sensitive (women of childbearing age and
children under 15) populations. Because muskellunge can vary greatly in size and
mercury concentrations increase with increasing fish length, the advice was generated for
muskellunge of two sizes: 38 and 46 inches. A summary of the consumption advice is
shown in the table on the next page. GLIFWC is currently developing outreach materials
to communicate the results of this study to its mem ber tribes.

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
The table below shows consumption recommendations for muskellunge up to 38 and 42 inches for the sensitive1
and general2 populations.
State
County
Lake
Safe Number of Meals per Month:
38-inch Muskellunge
Safe Number of Meals per Month:
48-inch Muskellunge
General
Population
Sensitive
Population
General
Population
Sensitive
Population
ALL
ALL
ALL
2
0
2
0
Ml
Alger
Kingston Lake
8
2
8
2
MN
Cook
Crescent Lake
4
1
2
1
MN
Lake
Dumbbell Lake
2
0
1
0
MN
St. Louis
Boot Lake
0
0
0
0
Wl
Ashland
English Lake
1
0
1
0
Wl
Ashland
Moquah Lake
1
0
0
0
Wl
Ashland
Potter Lake
1
0
1
0
Wl
Ashland
Spider Lake
1
0
0
0
Wl
Ashland
Splllerberg Lake
1
0
1
0
Wl
Bayfield
Namekagon Lake
2
0
1
0
Wl
Burnett
Big McKenzie Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Oneida
Booth Lake
4
1
1
0
Wl
Oneida
Buckskin Lake
2
0
2
0
Wl
Oneida
Clear Lake
1
0
1
0
Wl
Oneida
Mlnocqua Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Oneida
Pelican Lake
2
0
1
0
Wl
Oneida
Squirrel Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Oneida
Tomahawk Lake
4
1
2
1
Wl
Polk
Bone Lake
4
2
4
1
Wl
Polk
Deer Lake
2
0
2
0
Wl
Sawyer
Callahan Lake
2
0
2
0
Wl
Sawyer
Grindstone Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Sawyer
Lake Chippewa
4
1
2
1
Wl
Sawyer
Lake Winter
2
0

0
Wl
Sawyer
Lac Courte Orellles
4
1
2
0
Wl
Sawyer
Round Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Sawyer
Sand Lake
2
0
2
0
Wl
Sawyer
Slssabagama Lake
2
1
1
0
Wl
Sawyer
Tiger Cat Flowage
2
0
1
0
Wl
Vilas
Ballard Lake
1
0
1
0
Wl
Vilas
Big Arbor Vitae Lake
8
2
4
1
Wl
Vilas
Big Lake (Boulder JCT)
2
0
2
0
Wl
Vilas
Big Muskellunge Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Vilas
Big St Germain Lake
4
1
4
1
Wl
Vilas
Brandy Lake
2
0
2
0
Wl
Vilas
Clear Lake
2
0
1
0
Wl
Vilas
Irving Lake
1
0
1
0
Wl
Vilas
Kentuck Lake
2
1
2
0
2

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
State
County
Lake
Safe Number of Meals per Month:
38-inch Muskellunge
Safe Number of Meals per Month:
48-inch Muskellunge
General
Population
Sensitive
Population
General
Population
Sensitive
Population
Wl
Vilas
Little Arbor Vitae Lake
8
2
4
2
Wl
Vilas
Little John Lake
8
4
4
1
Wl
Vilas
Little St Germain Lake
8
2
4
2
Wl
Vilas
North Twin Lake
4
1
2
1
Wl
Vilas
Trout Lake
4
1
2
0
Wl
Vilas
Upper Gresham Lake
2
0
1
0
Wl
Vilas
White Sand Lake
2
0
2
0
Wl
Vilas
Wildcat Lake
4
1
2
1
Wl
Washburn
Shell Lake
2
0
1
0
1	Sensitive Population: Women of chiidbearing age and children under 15 years old.
2	General Population: Women beyond chiidbearing age and men 15 years and older.
Sources: http: / /glifwc.org/Mercury/index.html:
http://glifwc.0rg/Mercurv/Muskv%20C0nsumpti0n%20Advice%20Mem0%20Feb2016.pdf.
EPA News
Promulgation of Final Rule on Certain Federal Water Quality
Standards Applicable to Maine
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued final federal Clean Water Act water quality standards
(WQS) that apply to water bodies under the state of Maine's jurisdiction.
Background
Until 2015, EPA had never approved any Maine WQS for waters in Indian lands. In 2014, the state of Maine sued
EPA to make approval or disapproval decisions on all backlogged WQS. In decisions issued in February, March, and
June 2015, EPA disapproved a number of Maine WQS as not adequately protective of human health or aquatic life.
Most of the disapprovals applied only to waters in Indian lands; however, a few applied to all Maine waters.
If Maine adopts and submits new or revised WQS that EPA finds meet Clean Water Act requirements, EPA would
withdraw its federal promulgation for those waters and/or pollutants for which EPA would approve Maine's new or
revised standards.
Fish Consumption and Tribal Sustenance Fishing Use
There are four federally recognized Indian tribes in Maine, represented by five governing bodies. State and federal
settlement acts that resolved litigation between Maine and the tribes create a unique arrangement granting the state
of Maine authority to set WQS for waters in Indian lands. EPA concluded that the settlement acts provide for
sustenance fishing practices in those waters; that under the Clean Water Act, sustenance fishing is a designated use;
and that criteria must be adequate to protect that use.
Maine's human health criteria (HHC) are based on a fish consumption rate of 32.4 grams per day of fish. The best
available information indicates that the HHC to protect tribal sustenance fishers in Maine should be based on a
3

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
much higher fish consumption rate. Because the state of Maine has not addressed the WQS disapprovals stemming
from this information, EPA has finalized federal HHC applicable to waters in Indian lands and waters outside of
Indian lands that are subject to sustenance fishing rights. EPA has incorporated a fish consumption rate that
represents a level of fish consumption by the tribes unsuppressed by pollution concerns, as well as new data and
scientific information on exposure and pollutant toxicity.
Scope of the Final Rule
EPA has finalized HHC for 96 pollutants that apply to waters in Indian lands. EPA has finalized six additional WQS
for waters in Indian lands:
•	Recreational and shellfishing bacteria criteria to protect human health;
•	Tidal temperature, pH, and ammonia criteria to protect aquatic life;
•	A mixing zone policy; and
•	Clarification that natural conditions provisions cannot be applied to HHC.
EPA has finalized two WQS for all waters in Maine, including waters in Indian lands:
•	Dissolved oxygen criteria for Class A waters to protect aquatic life; and
•	Clarification that the Clean Water Act does not allow the commissioner of the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection to waive compliance with WQS in case of oil spills.
Basis for the Human Health Criteria
EPA derives HHC for non-threshold carcinogens using the following inputs:
•	Cancer slope factor;
•	Cancer risk level;
•	Body weight;
•	Drinking water intake rate;
•	Fish consumption rate; and
•	Bioaccumulation or bioconcentration factor.
In deriving criteria for waters in Indian lands in Maine, in general, EPA used the same cancer slope factors, cancer
risk level, body weight, drinking water intake rate, bioaccumulation factors, reference doses, and relative source
contribution factors that EPA used in its most recent Clean Water Act section 304(a) recommended HHC. To
protect tribal sustenance fishers in Maine, EPA derived the criteria using a fish consumption rate of 286 grams per
day. This rate accounts for information from an anthropological/historical study of the tribes' traditional cultural
practices and reflects input from affected tribes in Maine.
For more information, contact Jennifer Brundage at 202-566-1265, Brundage.Jennifer@epa.gov or Jeanne
Voorhees at 617-918-1686, Voorhees.Jeanne@epa.gov.
To access the final rule, Federal Register notice, and supporting documents, visit EPA's WQS website at
https://www.epa.gov/wqs-tech/promulgation-certain-federal-water-qualitv-standards-applicable-maine.
4

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
EPA Region 10 and Idaho Tribal Fish Consumption Survey
EPA and Idaho Tribal Governments (Kootenai, Coeur D'Alene, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, and Shoshone-
Paiute) began work in December 2012 on a tribal fish consumption survey to better understand tribal fish
consumption and support tribal environmental capacity building. Tribal governments provided tremendous
leadership and resources to complete the surveys.
EPA and the Idaho tribes embarked on two survey types,
quantitative and heritage. The Shoshone-Bannock and Nez
Perce tribes participated in the quantitative survey. The
quantitative survey used two methodologies to derive fish
consumption rates: the nutritional survey methodology
developed by the National Cancer Institute and the Food
Frequency Questionnaire methodology. EPA's subcontractor
hired, trained, and managed tribal interviewers from each
tribe to improve response rates and protect culturally-
sensitive information.
Kootenai Tribe

Coeur D'Alene Tribe
Nez Perce Tribe
Tribal consumption data were used to develop fish
consumption rate statistics for two different groups:
•	Group 1: All fish and shellfish.
•	Group 2: Fish and shellfish species that may acquire
contaminants from habitat waters that are of concern
under the Clean Water Act (i.e., near coastal,
estuarine, and freshwater).
Shoshone-Bannock Tribe
Shoshone-Paiute Tribe
Location of Idaho tribes. (Image courtesy of EPA)
Interviews were conducted during the calendar year to assess seasonal changes in fish consumption. The survey
methodology was reviewed by two institutional review boards, including one familiar with tribal traditional
lifeways. Two peer reviewed final reports summarized quantitative consumption rates for the Nez Perce Tribe and
the Shoshone Bannock Tribes.
EPA and its contractors also conducted a review of heritage fish consumption rates for the Kootenai, Coeur D'Alene,
Nez Perce, and Shoshone-Bannock tribes in collaboration with those same tribes. Final heritage fish consumption
reports were developed for each tribe and provided past fish consumption rates based on direct observation of past
tribal fishing activity as well as daily caloric intake requirements, the caloric content of fish, and the fraction of the
diet that consisted of fish. The reports discuss causes for fish population declines, heritage fish consumption
information, and methods of rate derivation.
Key Outcomes and Findings
Fish consumption rates for the participating Idaho tribes indicate that they currently consume more fish than the
general population.
5

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
Idaho tribes generally consume more fish than previously documented 20 years ago in the 1994 report, A Fish
Consumption Survey of the Umatilla. Nez Perce. Yakama. and Warm Springs Tribes of the Columbia River Basin.
conducted by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC).
Tribal members attribute increased fish consumption, in part, due to habitat improvements and an increased
availability of fish in local rivers and lakes. Differences in the design of EPA's survey relative to the original CRITFC
survey may also contribute to differences in derived fish consumption rates.
All current and heritage tribal fish consumption reports are available at www.epa.gov/columbiariver/idaho-tribal-
fish-consumption-survev.
For more information, contact Mary Lou Soscia at 503-326-5873, Soscia.Marvlou@epa.gov. or for technical
information, please contact Lon Kissinger at 206-553-2115, Kissinger.Lon@epa.gov.
Other News
NOAA Funds Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast System Development in
Pacific Northwest
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
(NCCOS) are funding development of a harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecast in the Pacific Northwest to support
management of shellfisheries, clamming beaches, and human health. The experimental monitoring and forecasting
system will launch in 2017, with forecast bulletins predicting bloom location and concentration several days in
advance.
Annual outbreaks of the toxic algae Pseudo-nitzschia produce the neurotoxin domoic acid, which builds up in
exposed shellfish and can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in humans. Commercial and recreational
shellfisheries are therefore monitored for HAB toxins, and closed to prevent outbreaks of ASP. These closures can
result in millions of dollars in lost harvests. For example, a massive west coast-wide Pseudo-nitzschia bloom in
2015 saw closures to the valuable Dungeness crab, rock crab, and razor clam fisheries. The initial estimate for losses
in tourism-related spending from Washington's lost razor clam harvest in 2015 is $22.7 million.
"We have the technology to monitor and forecast HABs, and are excited to engage stakeholders in developing a
product that protects public health and safeguards our coastal economies," said former NCCOS Director, Mary
Erickson.
NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSQ and members of the Makah Tribe will conduct near-real-
time monitoring of offshore conditions, collecting and analyzing samples at two-week intervals beginning in the
spring of 2017.
"This partnership with the new center of excellence at the Makah Tribe will bring the most powerful technologies
for algae and toxin detection to our partners who are directly impacted by these blooms," said NWFSC biologist
Vera Trainer. "This will help the tribe and all coastal managers make rapid, informed decisions about seafood
safety."
6

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
Scientists with the I Iniversity of Washington will generate the forecast with their LiveOcean model, integrated with
information from other project partners, including beachside monitoring of toxin levels and real-time data from
NOAA's "lab in a can," the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP). The ESP was deployed last May by the
University of Washington, NOAA, and partners with funding by the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System
(IOOS).
Ultimately, the team plans to produce a map-based assessment of domoic acid toxicity risk leading up to each
scheduled razor clam dig, in the form of a Pacific Northwest HAB Bulletin for coastal resource managers. All of
these components will come together to provide more reliable predictions of when and where these toxic blooms
will be expected and ensure safe access to the region's seafood.
"This will be a sort of 'weather forecast' for Pacific Northwest HABs," said Parker MacCready, a University of
Washington professor of oceanography. The goal is for forecasts to be produced and disseminated as bulletins in
partnership with NOAA's U.S. IOOS partner, the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems.
In addition to the University of Washington, project partners include NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center,
the University of Strathclyde, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This project is part of the NCCOS
Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms research program.
The Pacific Northwest HAB forecast system is part of a NOAA ecological forecasting initiative that aims to deliver
accurate, relevant, timely, and reliable ecological forecasts directly to coastal resource managers and the public.
NOAA is also providing or developing HAB forecasts for the Gulf of Maine, Texas, Florida, and Lake Erie, and
hypoxia forecasts for the Gulf of Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay.
For more information, contact Marc Suddleson at Marc.Suddleson@noaa.gov.
Source: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/coastal-pollution/water-qualitv/noaa-funds-harmful-algal-bloom-
forecast-svstem-development-pacific-northwest/.
The Complexity of Communicating Risk in the Context of Fish
Consumption, Partnerships for Environmental Public Health
Despite decades of research, evidence-based findings, and publicity about the benefits of eating fish, dietary intake
of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in the United States and Canada is low compared with
recommendations. Fish are naturally rich in LCPUFAs but are also a dietary source of heavy metals, polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), and persistent organic pollutants. A webinar held on June 16, 2016 highlighted three researchers
who are exploring the challenge of communicating risk about eating fish from waters known to contain high levels
of pollutants while simultaneously conveying the benefits of fish consumption for human health.
7

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
The complexity of communicating risk is compounded
further by social and cultural factors among those who
are subsistence fishers or who consume fish from
polluted waters on a regular basis. The webinar,
therefore, also highlighted the cultural considerations of
Native Americans in the Great Lakes region; Asians
living along urban waterways in the Midwest; and
African Americans, Cajuns, and Asians living along the
Gulf of Mexico.
The first presentation—Risk Communication with
Tribal Communities—described the cultural significance
of certain types of fish among the Anishinabe people
(Native American tribes who inhabit the Upper
Laurentian Great Lakes). These tribes are traditionally
known as a fishing culture with fish making up 65 percent of the protein in their diet. Community-based research is
being conducted with the Anishinabe to develop risk messaging that will be delivered via mobile phone platforms
and that will help tribal members determine how much traditional fish they can safely consume.
The second presentation—Promoting Healthy Seafood Choices in Asian Communities—highlighted Asian
Americans in Chicago, who, based on their cultural background, consume various parts of fish that are not normally
tested for contaminants. This study explores the challenge of communicating the risk of consuming fish high in
PCBs to those with limited English proficiency and/or low literacy.
The third presentation—Public Perception and Risk Messaging Among Gulf Coast Residents After the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill—highlighted efforts made to communicate the safety of fish caught in the Gulf of Mexico in
months following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In this study, the challenge was to communicate the safety of the
fish to communities who not only perceived themselves at risk from the oil spill's chemicals but who also
represented several distinct ethnic/racial sub-populations with varying degrees of literacy and proficiency in
English.
Together, these presentations highlighted the innovative ways in which risk/benefit health messaging can be
developed and the importance of community engagement to ensure that such messaging is appropriately conveyed
to affected communities.
Presentations
•	Risk Communication with Tribal Communities—Matthew Dellinger. Ph.D.
•	Promoting Healthy Seafood Choices in Asian Communities—Susan Buchanan, M.D.
•	Public Perception and Risk Messaging Among Gulf Coast Residents After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-
Andrew Kane, Ph.D.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Your Environment Your Health.
PEPH Webinar:
The Complexity of Communicating Risk in the Context of
Fish Consumption
Moderator: Symma Finn
Presenters: Matthew Dellinger, Susan Buchanan, and Andrew Kane
Natenai institute* of Heath • U S Department of Heanti and Human SerxiCM
Image of the first slide of the webinar. (Image courtesy of National
Institute of Environmental Health Services)
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/translational/peph/webinars/fish consumption/index.cfm.
8

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
Southern Utes Evaluating Bioaccumulation of Selected Metals in
Fish
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT) Division of Wildlife Resources and the Environmental Programs Division
Water Quality Program (WQP) are working collaboratively to better understand bioaccumulation of mercury and
selenium in fish populations within surface water bodies on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation (SUIR).
Historically, within the San Juan Basin, mercury and selenium pose the most significant threat to human health
and aquatic life, respectively. In addition, long-term deposition and the 2015 acute Gold King Mine spill originating
from the upper Animas drainage near Silverton, Colorado are of concern for human health and aquatic life within
the Animas River flowing through the SUIR.
Fish consumption advisories have been issued for mercury at many of the area's reservoirs warning anglers to limit
their consumption of fish, especially piscivorous species.
One of the objectives in the Sampling and Analysis Plan (2017) is that in 2017, the WQP will collect fish species
most commonly eaten by humans from three major rivers (Animas, Piedra, and San Juan rivers) within the exterior
boundaries of the SUIR and have them assessed for concentrations of mercury and selenium. Rainbow and brown
trout, kokanee salmon, large/small mouth bass, and channel catfish would be sampled by extracting muscle plugs
to be evaluated by a contract laboratory.
Another objective outlined in the Sampling and Analysis Plan is for the tribe to conduct studies to determine the
long-term effects of the Gold King Mine spill on and adjoining the Animas River within the reservation.
Because the SUIT WQP had advance warning that the spill was moving downstream, the tribe was able to monitor
the spill's effect on water quality and to assess its effects on aquatic life. Fish muscle plugs taken approximately two
weeks prior to the spill were assessed to provide a baseline condition from which to compare post-spill evaluations
of potential bioaccumulation effects to aquatic life.
In partnership with SUIT's Division of Wildlife Resources, in 2017, the WQP will repeat a 2015 evaluation within
the Animas River. The study's objective is to determine whether the long-term effects of the Gold King Mine spill
had significant effects to affected aquatic life inhabiting the Animas River within the reservation. To accomplish this
objective, the WQP will collect both game (trout) and native fish from the Animas River and fish species most
commonly consumed by humans from two rivers and two small reservoirs. The samples will be assessed for
mercury, selenium, aluminum, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, mercury, manganese, nickel, lead,
selenium, uranium, and zinc.
For further information contact Curtis Hartenstine at charten@southernute-nsn.gov.
9

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
Southeast Alaska Tribes Trained in Minimizing Risk of Shellfish
Toxins
In September 2016, NOAA's NCCOS scientists instructed environmental personnel from the southeast Alaska tribes
in toxic phytoplankton sampling and identification techniques during the Fourth Workshop of the Southeast Alaska
Tribal Toxins fS EATI') Partnership in Sitka, Alaska. The NCCOS Phytoplankton Monitoring Network developed
these techniques.
Participants of the Southeast Alaska Tribal Toxins Partnership Workshop held in Sitka, Alaska. (Image courtesy of NOM/NCCOS)
Also at the work-shop, NCCOS scientists provided technical and program development guidance to the Sitka Tribe of
Alaska Environmental Research Laboratory fSTAERL). which recently implemented a NCCOS-developed shellfish
toxin testing method to support monitoring conducted by SEATT members. Regulatory managers from Alaska and
Washington present at the workshop received a demonstration of this testing method—approved by the Interstate
Shellfish Sanitation Conference—for their consideration as an alternative to the mouse bioassay, which uses live
animal testing.
SEATT was formed in 2013 to mitigate the threat of eating shellfish tainted with algal-based toxins during
traditional subsistence shellfish harvests. Training STAERL personnel in shellfish toxin analysis is a multi-year
project funded by the EPA Indian General Assistance Program and the Administration for Native Americans'
Environmental Regulatory Enhancement Program, with the goal of having the facility FDA-certified for algal toxin
testing by 2017.
For more information, contact Steve Morton at Steve.Morton@noaa.gov or Tod Leighfield at
Tod.Leighfield@noaa.gov.
Source: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/coastal-resilience/alaskan-tribal-comimmities-trained-mininiizing-
risk-shellfish-toxins /.
10

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
The list below provides a selection of research articles focusing on tribal issues associated with fish and
shellfish.
~	Assessment of sodium channel mutations in Makah tribal members of the U.S. Pacific Northwest as a potential mechanism of resistance to
paralytic shellfish poisoning
Adams, N.G., A. Robertson, L.M. Grattan, S. Pendleton, S. Roberts, J.K. Tracy, and V.L. Trainer. 2016. Assessment of sodium
channel mutations in Makah tribal members of the U.S. Pacific Northwest as a potential mechanism of resistance to paralytic
shellfish poisoning. Harmful Algae 57(Part B):26-34.
~	Altered fine motor function at school age in Inuit children exposed to PCBs. methvlmercurv. and lead
Boucher, 0., G. Muckle, P. Ayotte, E. Dewailly, S.W. Jacobson, and J.L. Jacobson. 2016. Altered fine motorfunction at school age in
Inuit children exposed to PCBs, methylmercury, and lead. Environment International 95:144-151.
~	Dietary assessment of domoic acid exposure: What can be learned from traditional methods and new applications for a technology assisted
device
Boushey, C.J., E.J. Delp, Z. Ahmad, Y. Wang, S.M. Roberts, and L.M. Grattan. 2016. Dietary assessment of domoic acid exposure:
What can be learned from traditional methods and new applications for a technology assisted device. Harmful Algae 57(Part
B):51-55.
~	What is a meaningful role? Accounting for culture in fish and wildlife management in rural Alaska
Brooks, J.J., and K.A. Bartley. 2016. What is a meaningful role? Accounting for culture in fish and wildlife management in rural
Alaska. Human Ecolog/ 44(5):517-531.
~	Future impacts of hydroelectric power development on methvlmercurv exposures of Canadian indigenous communities
Calder, R.S.D., A.T. Schartup, M. Li, A.P. Valberg, P.H. Balcom, and E.M. Sunderland. 2016. Future impacts of hydroelectric power
development on methylmercury exposures of Canadian indigenous communities. Environmental Science & Technology
50(23): 13115-13122.
~	An ecological and human biomonitoring investigation of mercury contamination at the Aamiiwnaang First Nation
Cryderman, D., L. Letourneau, F. Miller, and N. Basu. 2016. An ecological and human biomonitoring investigation of mercury
contamination at the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. EcoHealth 13(4):784-795.
~	Mercury risks versus nutritional benefits of tribal commercial fish harvests in the Upper Laurentian Great Lakes
Dellinger, M.J., and M.P. Ripley 2016. Mercury risks versus nutritional benefits of tribal commercial fish harvests in the Upper
Laurentian Great Lakes. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 22(4):1036-1049.
~	Acute and chronic dietary exposure to domoic acid in recreational harvesters: A survey of shellfish consumption behavior
Ferriss, B.E., D.J. Marcinek, D. Ayres, J. Borchert, and K.A. Lefebvre. 2017. Acute and chronic dietary exposure to domoic acid in
recreational harvesters: A survey of shellfish consumption behavior. Environment International 101:70-79.
~	Oiibwe Gicf]iŁami("Q\\bwia's Great Sea"): An intersecting history of treaty rights, tribal fish harvesting, and toxic risk in Keweenaw Bay. United
States
Gagnon, V.S. 2016. Ojibwe Glchlgaml ("Ojibwa's Great Sea"): An intersecting history of treaty rights, tribal fish harvesting, and toxic
risk in Keweenaw Bay, United States. Water History 8(4):365-384.
~	The association between razor clam consumption and memory in the CoASTAL cohort
Grattan, L.M., C. Boushey, K. Tracy, V.L Trainer, S.M. Roberts, N. Schluterman, and J.G. Morris, Jr. 2016. The association between
razor clam consumption and memory in the CoASTAL cohort. Harmful Algae 57(Part B):20-25.
11

-------
Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
April 2017
~	Re-envisioning state and tribal collaboration in fishery assessment and restoration
Holtgren, J.M., and N.A. Auer. 2016. Re-envisioning state and tribal collaboration in fishery assessment and restoration. Fisheries
41(5):244-257.
~	Mercury diminishes the cardiovascular protective effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the modern diet of Inuit in Canada
Hu, X.F., B.D. Laird, and H.M. Chan. 2017. Mercury diminishes the cardiovascular protective effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acids in the modern diet of Inuit in Canada. Environmental Research 152:470-477.
~	Perception of risk for domoic acid related health problems: A cross-cultural study
Roberts, S.M., L.M. Grattan, A.C. Toben, C. Ausherman, V.L. Trainer, K. Tracy, and J.G. Morris, Jr. 2016. Perception of risk for
domoic acid related health problems: A cross-cultural study. Harmful Algae 57(Part B):39-44.
~	Communicating results of a dietary exposure study following consumption of traditionally smoked salmon
Rohlman, D., G. Frey, M.L. Kile, B. Harper, S. Harris, 0. Motorykin, S.L.M. Simonich, and A.K. Harding. 2016. Communicating results
of a dietary exposure study following consumption of traditionally smoked salmon. Environmental Justice 9(3):85-92.
~	Communities advancingthe studies of tribal nations across their lifespan: Design, methods, and baseline of the CoASTAL cohort
Tracy, K., C.J. Boushey, S.M. Roberts, J.G. Morris, Jr., and L.M. Grattan. 2016. Communities advancingthe studies of tribal nations
across their lifespan: Design, methods, and baseline of the CoASTAL cohort. Harmful Algae 57(Part B):9-19.
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
Impacts of a Changing Environment on the Dynamics of
High-latitude Fish and Fisheries
May 9-11, 2017
Anchorage, Alaska
6th Global Summit on Aauaculture & Fisheries
May 25-26, 2017
Osaka,Japan
World Aauaculture
June 26-30, 2017
Cape Town, South Africa
11th International Conference on Molluscan Shellfish
Safety
May 14-18, 2017
Galway, Ireland
SeaWeb Seafood Summit
June 5-7, 2017
Seattle, Washington
13th International Conference on Mercury as a Global
Pollutant
July 16-21, 2017
Providence, Rhode Island
American Fisheries Society 147th Annual Meeting
August 20-24, 2017
Tampa, Florida
Additional Information
This monthly newsletter highlights current information about fish and shellfish.
For more information about specific advisories within the state, territory, or tribe, contact the appropriate
state agency listed on EPA's National Listing of Fish Advisories website at https://fishadvisorvonline.epa.gov/Contacts.aspx.
For more information about this newsletter, contact Sharon Frey (Frev.Sharon@epa.gov. 202-566-1480).
Additional information about advisories and fish and shellfish consumption can be found at https://www.epa.gov/fish-tech.
12

-------