Grandkids Can Fish But Shouldn’t Eat What They Catch
It’s hard to believe this is already the fifth column of the summer! The hot weather last week, combined with the 4th of July holiday, resulted in a lot of grandkids in town for the fireworks and getting out on the lake. There was a lot of swimming, tubing, and general cooling off in and near the water.
I spotted my friend, Fred Knight, out in his boat with one grandkid, while his son-in-law Eric Carlson was out paddling nearby with his grandson, Miles. I was encouraged to see a lot of youngsters out fishing with their families. Many of the families were catching sunfish and smallmouth bass and keeping some for a 4th of July fish fry. I warned some of them that the youngsters shouldn’t be eating fish from the lake. It’s pretty depressing warning grandkids they shouldn’t eat the fish they are catching!
I still remember the pride I felt when I first brought home fish the family would eat for dinner. I looked forward to sharing the bounty and learned to clean, cook, and eat fish. My Scandinavian family ate fish at least three or four times a week, especially during the summer. Fresh fish is still one of my favorite meals. Unfortunately, our grandchildren won’t have that option, at least not until they are over the age of 8. Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife (IFW) and Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) have issued safe consumption guidelines for Maine’s freshwater fish, which are contaminated with mercury.
Pregnant and nursing women, women who may get pregnant, and children under age 8 are advised to eat NO freshwater fish from Maine’s inland waters, except that they may safely consume one meal per month of brook trout or landlocked salmon. All others are advised to eat no more than two freshwater fish meals per month, except for brook trout and landlocked salmon, which can be safely consumed once a week.
The primary source of the mercury in Maine’s lakes and rivers is air pollution from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest. These plants are being phased out but WAY too slowly. Maine is particularly susceptible to mercury pollution because of our acidic precipitation and thin soils with little or no carbonates to provide buffering. There are other site-specific restrictions for other contaminants, such as PFAS, PCBs, dioxins, and DDT. Recently, Maine CDC issued a consumption advisory for PFAS/PFOS for fish caught in Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond. The general population should consume no more than one fish meal a month from these waters, and children under 8 and pregnant women should not consume any fish. Please check the IFW website above before consuming your fish. And please contact your federal legislators and ask them to support stricter air pollution standards so we can eat the fish we catch!
On a brighter note, I did get out hiking a bit and had good success foraging fresh yellow chanterelle mushrooms, as well as some black trumpets, which are beginning to appear. The wild mushrooms were turned into venison stroganoff on top of fresh pasta from the farmers’ market. I also caught some nice bass on my annual “morning after” cleanup cruise the morning after the fireworks. I trolled a white zonker streamer fly behind me while I collected trash and caught six nice bass that were chasing schools of alewives about 15 feet down. I collected about a half bag of assorted floating bottles and fireworks debris, but overall the lake was much cleaner than most years.
This area offers some great outdoor recreation, whether you like to hike, bike, birdwatch, fish, sail, or paddle a canoe or kayak. I encourage all parents and grandparents to take advantage of opportunities to get your kids and grandkids (or even parents and grandparents) out on the lake for fishing or swimming or up in the hills for some hiking. Pick up the latest version of the local trails map at Day’s Store or the 7LA building. Individual trail maps can be downloaded from the 7 Lakes website. Also, please check the 7LA website for details on upcoming interesting events scheduled this summer and watch the sign out front. And make sure to take a kid along on your next outdoor adventure.
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