Jean-François Duchesne
Professionnel de recherche
Unité de recherche en santé publique du CHUQ
2400, rue d'Estimauville
Beauport (Qc) G1E 7G9
Telephone : (418) 666-7000
ext. 205
Fax: (418) 666-2776

2001-11-01

To obtain this report:
quebec.slv2000@ec.gc.ca

Results of the Survey on St. Lawrence Waterfowl Hunters' Consumption of Migratory Birds and
Sport Fish and Health Risk Analysis

J.-F. Duchesne, D. Gauvin, B. Lévesque, S. Gingras and É. Dewailly 2001. Enquête sur la consommation d'oiseaux migrateurs et de poissons de pêche sportive auprès de la population de chasseurs de sauvagine du Saint-Laurent et Analyse des risques à la santé, Unité de recherche en santé publique du CHUQ (P-CHUL), 1002 p. + appendices.

Photo: Canadian Wildlife Service

Abstract

This report summarizes migratory-bird hunters’ hunting and fishing habits and their consumption of waterfowl and sport fish caught in the St. Lawrence. Results were obtained following the 1999 hunting season through a self-administered food questionnaire completed by 512 waterfowl hunters, most of whom live in the St. Lawrence region.

Of all survey respondents, 93% had hunted in the fall of 1999. Hunters had gone on an average of 7.6 hunting excursions; an average of 15 birds (mainly dabbling ducks) had been killed during the hunting season. More than 93% of respondents had consumed at least one meal of waterfowl during the period covered by the survey; an average of 7.5 meals of waterfowl were consumed annually (mostly geese and dabbling ducks). According to the survey, a typical meal of wild duck consumed by respondents consists of 181 grams of meat. As for the fishing and consumption of St. Lawrence sport fish, 47% of the hunters had fished at least once in the 12 months preceding the survey; the same percentage had consumed at least one meal of sport fish caught in the St. Lawrence during the same period. Walleye and yellow perch had most often been consumed (52% of all meals); an average of 8.7 meals of fish were consumed in a year (all species combined). Close to 70% of respondents reported having consumed between 110 g and 340 g of fish in a typical fish meal.

From the information obtained on the species and quantities consumed, and thanks to contamination data compiled by various governmental agencies (Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Quebec, Fisheries and Oceans Canada), we were able to conduct a health risk analysis of the consumption of waterfowl and fish caught in the St. Lawrence.

Daily mercury intake estimates show that fish consumption remains the primary source of mercury exposure among St. Lawrence users. Even though the consumption of waterfowl is a significant source of mercury exposure for some hunters, the contamination of birds is generally too low for their consumption to pose a threat to hunters’ health, at levels measured by the food survey. Of all the respondents, only two hunters who had eaten fish had been exposed to mercury levels that were higher than those deemed safe; four of the hunters had been exposed to mercury levels that were higher than those deemed safe from all sources combined (waterfowl + fish + other sources).

Analyses conducted by the Canadian Wildlife Service on the chemical contamination of migratory birds showed that the flesh of geese and ducks has very low levels of metals and organic and inorganic compounds. Very often, only traces of Mirex, dieldrine, all chlordanes, dioxins and furans were found, if they were detected at all. Only relatively high concentrations of selenium found in scoters could have posed a potential health risk. Fish generally have low levels of organochlorine and metals other than mercury. Therefore, according to the food survey results, the consumption of waterfowl and fish by St. Lawrence hunters is not high enough for chemical contaminants other than mercury to pose a health risk.

Based on the risk analysis conducted during this project, advisories for the consumption of waterfowl hunted in the St. Lawrence region are not warranted. However, in order to limit exposure to contaminants, particularly mercury, we recommend that fish-consuming hunters abide by sport-fish consumption advisories that are currently in effect.