Propnut69
Well-known member
KSL Outdoors has learned of elevated mercury levels in fish at Flaming Gorge.
According to recent sampling conducted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, there are some species of fish with mercury levels high enough to warrant consumption guidelines. In Flaming Gorge reservoir, large lake trout, large smallmouth bass, and larger burbot have elevated levels of mercury. Large burbot, those thirty inches and above tested the highest in elevated mercury levels. Mercury levels are usually found the highest in fish that feed on other fish and are usually the highest in bigger, older fish.
In the coming weeks, the Wyoming Department ofHealth and the Wyoming Game and Fish will release an advisory that deals with consumption of fish for those caught in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The guidelines they’ll recommend are; pregnant women, nursing mothers, women of child bearing age and kids under 15 should limit their consumption of burbot under 25 inches to 4 meals per month. Women and children should avoid eating burbot from Flaming Gorge thatare larger than 30 inches.
The advisory will also urge people to balance the health benefits of eating fish. As fish are high in protein and othernutrients, low in fat, and have omega-3 fatty acids needed for healthy heart and brain development.
We’ll have more on KSL Outdoors, this Saturday on not only the mercury issues with the fish at the gorge, but we’ll also talk to biologists about their recent trend netting survey on burbot. In some parts of the reservoir, biologists are seeing as much as a 60% increase! We’ll also have some information on this years Burbot Bash. It looks like there will be 20-25 burbot tagged this year. Three of the fish will be worth cash prizes. One fish is going to be worth $10,000.00, another worth $2,500.00 and one worth $1,000.00. They also plan on having cash prizes for the most, biggest and most caught. The Burbot Bash is scheduled to take place Feb 1st-3rd.
I wanted to get this mercury information out as soon as we could verify the information we’d received. Thanks,
Adam Eakle
According to recent sampling conducted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, there are some species of fish with mercury levels high enough to warrant consumption guidelines. In Flaming Gorge reservoir, large lake trout, large smallmouth bass, and larger burbot have elevated levels of mercury. Large burbot, those thirty inches and above tested the highest in elevated mercury levels. Mercury levels are usually found the highest in fish that feed on other fish and are usually the highest in bigger, older fish.
In the coming weeks, the Wyoming Department ofHealth and the Wyoming Game and Fish will release an advisory that deals with consumption of fish for those caught in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The guidelines they’ll recommend are; pregnant women, nursing mothers, women of child bearing age and kids under 15 should limit their consumption of burbot under 25 inches to 4 meals per month. Women and children should avoid eating burbot from Flaming Gorge thatare larger than 30 inches.
The advisory will also urge people to balance the health benefits of eating fish. As fish are high in protein and othernutrients, low in fat, and have omega-3 fatty acids needed for healthy heart and brain development.
We’ll have more on KSL Outdoors, this Saturday on not only the mercury issues with the fish at the gorge, but we’ll also talk to biologists about their recent trend netting survey on burbot. In some parts of the reservoir, biologists are seeing as much as a 60% increase! We’ll also have some information on this years Burbot Bash. It looks like there will be 20-25 burbot tagged this year. Three of the fish will be worth cash prizes. One fish is going to be worth $10,000.00, another worth $2,500.00 and one worth $1,000.00. They also plan on having cash prizes for the most, biggest and most caught. The Burbot Bash is scheduled to take place Feb 1st-3rd.
I wanted to get this mercury information out as soon as we could verify the information we’d received. Thanks,
Adam Eakle
