Delisting Targets developed by RAP Teams

Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption

*Please note: it is not in the IJC’s jurisdiction to endorse specific delisting targets.
*The IJC would like to encourage RAP Teams to submit estabnlished delisting targets to us. Please send them to the International Joint Commission

Canada

Detroit River, Ontario
Levels of contaminants such as PCBs and mercury in fish tissue shall be less than MDPH and OMNR/MOEE action levels.
Detroit River, Ontario
There shall be no taste or odour problems.
Spanish Harbour, Ontario
* Provide periodic updates on contaminant levels for the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish.
* Ensure consumers are aware of consumption restrictions specific to sport fish from the Spanish Harbour AOC.
* Ensure consumers of fish and wildlife from the AOC are not at risk due to consumption patterns.
* Ensure that dioxin levels in walleye do not exceed consumption guidelines.
* Ensure that Sagamok wild game consumers are not at risk with respect to contaminant levels in wildlife within the AOC.
St. Clair River, Ontario
When contaminant levels in fish and wildlife populations do not exceed current standards, objectives or guidelines and no public health advisories are in effect for human consumption of fish and wildlife.
Severn Sound, Ontario
* No restrictions on consumption of fish and wildlife from the Severn Sound attributable to local contaminant sources.
* Mercury concentration in fish flesh should be less than 0.5 ug/g wet wt. For the protection of human health. This objective must recognize that regional geological and atmospheric sources may be significant sources of mercury to the food chain which may not be augmented by localized sources.
* Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentration in fish flesh should be less than 2 ug/g wet weight for the protection of human health.
* Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentration in whole fish should not exceed 0.1 ug/g wet weight for the protection of birds and animals that consume fish.
Hamilton Harbour, Ontario
There will be no restrictions on consumption of fish and wildlife from the Harbour attributable to local sources.
Toronto & Region, Ontario
There are no restrictions on fish consumption that are attributable to local sources.
Bay of Quinte, Ontario
Restore the Bay of Quinte ecosystem to a condition in which there are no restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption attributable to anthropogenic sources of contamination from within the Area of Concern.
St. Lawrence River, Ontario
* When contaminant levels in fish from the AOC are the same as or less than those in fish from the St. Lawrence river upstream of the Iroquois Dam or when contaminant levels are below consumption guidelines in all fish of species listed in the Guide to Eating Ontario Sportfish.
* When the commercial fishery in the AOC is no longer restricted due to toxic contaminants from sources within the AOC.
* When there is no advisory in effect regarding consumption of snapping turtles from the AOC.
Niagara River, Ontario
* There be no restrictions on consumption of fish attributable to local sources in the Canadian AOC (incl. Welland River and tribs).
* Monitoring program indicates healthy, contaminant free, self-sustaining populations (incl. Welland River and tribs).
* To reduce sedimentation on fish spawning beds and to ensure all life levels of desirable fish species are unimpeded, identify and correct high erosion areas, so that non-storm suspended solids are less than 80 mg/L (Welland River and tribs only).
St. Mary's River, Ontario
* Virtually eliminate all persistent and bioaccumulative contaminants from industrial and municipal discharge.
* Continue with sport fish contaminant monitoring programs in the St. Marys River and tributaries.
* Complete a Canadian Wildlife Survey assessment of common tern and black tern populations for the entire St. Marys River.
* Analyze contaminant levels in eggs from herring gull, black tern, and common tern nests in the AOC.
* Virtually eliminate all persistent and bioaccumulative contaminants from industrial and municipal discharge.
* Monitor receiving water every three years at St. Marys Paper Ltd. to document response of fish communities to improved effluent quality as mill upgrades and process improvements are implemented.
* A monitoring program should be developed to assess change in fish and wildlife populations in the AOC in response to habitat enhancement efforts.
* Continue with St. Marys River Fishery Task Group efforts to develop a 10 year assessment program for the river.
* Continue to support sea lamprey control efforts.
Peninsula Harbour, Ontario
* Virtual elimination and zero discharge of persistent toxins.
* Eliminate fish consumption restrictions.

U.S.A.

Detroit River, Michigan
1. Levels of dioxin, PCBs, mercury and future relevant contaminants in fish tissue shall be less than the current most stringent action levels; AND
2. There are no human consumption advisories for wildlife; AND
3. Contaminants levels in fish and wildlife remain below current most stringent trigger concentrations for a minimum of five years.
Rouge River, Michigan
PCB concentrations meet state human consumption standards
Rouge River, Michigan
No complaints for fish; little hunting in watershed = delist now?
Rouge River, Michigan
1. GLEAS fish data = "accepatable" or better at all stations for 3 consecutive surveys.
2. Sustainable populations of fish species predicted by Willey/Seelbach models (especially sensitive species), based on stream size and flows.
River Raisin, Michigan
Eliminate restrictions on fish consumption.
St. Clair River, Michigan
When contaminant levels in fish and wildlife populations do not exceed current standards, objectives or guidelines and no public health advisories are in effect for human consumption of fish and wildlife.
Rochester Embayment, New York
1. There are no Area of Concern-specific fish and wildlife consumption advisories issued by New York State; AND
2. There is no significant contaminant input from the Rochester Embayment watershed contributing to contaminant levels in fish and wildlife tissue that require fish and wildlife consumption advisories, as indicated by the following: Tissue concentrations of contaminants of concern in representative samples of resident fish and wildlife are lower than the guidelines requiring advisories.
Buffalo River, New York
1. There are no AOC-specific fish and wildlife consumption advisories by New York State (i.e., carp for PCBs); and 2. When contaiminant levels in native and exotic fish and wildlife populations that could be consumed (i.e., walleye, bass, bluegills, perch, eels and pike) do not exceed current New York State standards and levels are representative of non-AOC reference community
St. Mary's River, Michigan
No locally derived fish and wildlife consumption advisories as determined by the most stringent standards, objectives, or guidelines.
Saginaw River & Bay, Michigan
* Levels of PCBs and dioxin in walleye taken from the Saginaw River/Bay are equal to or less than the levels found in comparable fish taken from other areas of the Great Lakes not listed as AOCs.
* PCB and dioxin levels in fish tissue from caged-fish studies in the Saginaw and Tittabawassee Rivers indicate thatthe former sources of these contaminants have been effectively controlled and/or remediated.
Kalamazoo River, Michigan
Reduce PCB availability to the biota within the watershed so that humans and wildlife can have unrestricted consumption without health effects. Protect human health related to PCB contamination. Protect human health related to PCB contamination and mercury contamination in fish by reducing exposure through educational efforts
Muskegon Lake, Michigan
1. All members of the population will be able to eat fish safely
2. Consumers of fish, substinence fishers and sport fishers will be knowledgeable about the health benefits and rish from eating fish and abide by the fish consumption advisories for the AOC.
3. Women of childbearing age and children under 15 will not be a more rish nor advised to eat smaller quantities to fish compared to the rest of the general population
4.Levels of PCBS in Northern Pike and Carp will be below the Michigan Department of Community Health Stnadars for consumption advisories and/or no worse than the advisories for Lake Michigan
5. Levels of Mercury and PCBs in Largemouth Bass, Walley, Redhorse suckers will be below the Michigan Department of Community Health standards for consumption advisories and/or no worse than the advisories for Lake Michigan.
White Lake, Michigan
1. No consumption warnings on fish in White Lake. CHemical concentrations in tissues must be equal to or below levels found in other areas of the Great Lakes not listed as Areas of Concern by 2008.
2. Caged fish experiments at White Lake outlet to Lake MIchigan, as performed by MDNR, meet state consumption standards. Must meet standards for 2 successive years.
3. White Lake water quality tests meet all State MDEQ standards for full and partial body contact during 4 successive years.
Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin
Same as IJC delisting guideline: when contaminant levels in fish wildlfie populations do not exceed current standards, objectives or guidelines, and public health advisories are not in effect for humna consumption of fish or wildlife.
Manistique River, Michigan
When PCBs in fish tissue from caged fish studies do not exceed background levels at the selected reference site
Deer Lake and Carp Creek, Michigan
When there is no statistical difference between mercury concentrations in the Deer Lake, Northern Pike and Greenwood Reservoir Northern Pike ip to 30 inches in length (per the delisting guidelines, if 'it can be demonstrated that the impairment is not limited to the local geographic extent, but rather is typical of lakewide, region-wide, or area-wide conditions'. The following statement is based on MDEQ data which shows that the confidence intervals for 24-inch northern pike from Greenwood Reservoir and Deer Lake overlap: The delisting goal will be met when these confidence intervals also overlap for 26, 28, and 20-inch Northern Pike from both lakes, presuming the same statistical test in the future.
Torch Lake, Michigan
Decreased incidences of liver tumors in sauger and walleye would serve as a basis for removing the advisory.