Follow-up Fish Tumour Survey

A fish tumour survey conducted in Fall 2015 by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) showed this beneficial use impairment continues to be impaired; with a tumour prevalence rate of 6% (i.e., 100 White Suckers were collected from the Bellevue Marine Park and Partridge Point areas, and 6 were found to have liver tumours). It is getting closer to the delisting criteria of <5% tumour rate, and there has been improvement since the survey in 2009 that produced a fish tumour rate of 10.7%. Given that fish tumours are the result of elevated PAHs in sediment, the remedial action linked to this BUI includes dredging the Algoma Steel boat slip, which has been significantly completed in 2017 and 2019. ECCC is planning a follow-up fish tumour survey for potentially Fall 2021.