|
Become a friend of the Klamath Bucket Brigade All donations are tax deductible |
|
This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Report
shows algae toxins found in fish and shellfish
The
The Karuk Tribe announced
Thursday that a new report issued by the tribe shows the flesh of a
popular game fish in PacifiCorp’s
The algae Microcystis
aeruginosa produces the toxin microcystin which is known to cause liver
damage and promote tumor growth, according to a news release from the
tribe.
The tribe’s report,
based on toxicological analyses performed by state agencies and paid for
by the federal government, concludes that health officials should warn
the public not to eat fish from the reservoirs during the summer months
when algae blooms are most pervasive.
The California Department
of Fish and Game’s report “Microcystin Bioaccumulation in Klamath
River Fish and Freshwater Mussel Tissue: Preliminary 2007 Results”
shows that during summer months when the algae blooms are present, the
toxin was found in the tissue of yellow perch from Iron Gate and Copco
reservoirs and freshwater mussels in the Klamath River, according to the
news release.
Since the discovery in
2001 of the toxic blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa in Iron Gate
and Copco reservoirs behind dams owned by PacifiCorp’s, the reservoirs
have seen record levels of the toxic algae and health warnings to
swimmers and boaters from state water regulators.
Recently, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency listed the
Fishing for the
non-native yellow perch in the reservoirs is popular among anglers while
and the river mussels are an important traditional food for the Karuk
and other Tribes.
Tribal officials
indicated they want PacifiCorp’s parent company’s billionaire owner
Warren Buffett to know that they won’t take the toxin problem any
longer.
“PacifiCorp’s dams
kill our salmon and poison our people,” stated Karuk Vice-chairman
Leaf Hillman. “We will do everything in our power to remove these dams
and fix our river.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those
who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for
non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go
to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Source:
http://eurekareporter.com/article/080410-algae-toxins-found-in-fish-and-shellfish