1 / 18

The Missisquoi River:

The Missisquoi River:. Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Management and Methylmercury Chris Remsen. Samuel de Champlain . Reputed to have been the first European to view what is now Vermont, Champlain entered the lake on the fourteenth of July, 1609. Narrative published as Voyages in 1613.

Olivia
Download Presentation

The Missisquoi River:

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Missisquoi River: Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Management and Methylmercury Chris Remsen

  2. Samuel de Champlain Reputed to have been the first European to view what is now Vermont, Champlain entered the lake on the fourteenth of July, 1609. Narrative published as Voyages in 1613.

  3. Drainage of surface waters in the Northern Green Mountains to Lake Champlain. High mountains, cold winters, and short growing season have produced one of the least populated regions of the state. The Missisquoi River

  4. The Missisquoi River • The biogeography of the region kept this ecosystem isolated and undisturbed.

  5. “People of the Dawn”, the original inhabitants of Vermont, prior to Samuel de Champlain. Settlement of Missisquoi River fishing village prior to Samuel de Champlain. The Abenaki

  6. The Abenaki • Cultural fishing traditions: ceremonial meals are central features of funerals, memorials, name-giving rituals, and weddings. Subsistence is another factor.

  7. Methylmercury • The Westerly winds disperse Mercury particulates from coal burning power plants. Methylation occurs after wet and dry deposition. Bioacculmulation occurs through food chains via tissue.

  8. Nearly 90% absorption in the GI tract. Readily crosses the placental and blood brain barriers. Neurotoxicity from low dose exposure to the adult and fetus. Methlymercury

  9. People management: issue fish consumption advisories. Fisheries: Restock salmon population on annual basis. VT Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

  10. Focused on output of methlymercury through consumption rather than input from particulates. Replace reproductive adults salmon with juveniles to maintain population for anglers. Limited genetic variability. VT Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

  11. Clear Skies Legislation: establish cap and emissions trading for mercury. Purchase of pollution credits rather than reducing their emissions through scrubbers and bag-houses. EPA

  12. Largest single source of anthropogenic emissions at over 40% of the total anthropogenic load. The Southern Company, American Electric Power, Edison International, and Tennessee Valley Authority produce 20% of all mercury pollution in the US. Coal Burning Power Plants

  13. The human health risk should justify a call for action at the state and federal levels to reduce mercury emissions. Where is the discourse? Who is the audience? This topic must amplify from the scientific community to the general public. Issues

  14. VT Dept of Fish & Wildlife must address input through deposition to create real mercury risk reduction. EPA must pursue a regulatory solution rather than cap and trade emissions through Clear Skies legislation. Issues

  15. Coal burning power companies: reduction in profit to reduce emissions and human health risk. Abenaki: increased awareness of human health risk from fish consumption until a sustainable healthy salmon population can be restored. Issues

  16. The Charge • The 400 anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s voyage quickly approaches. Will the health and sustainability of this ecosystem be restored?

More Related