Environmental Issues
Subject: [Fwd: Kerr Lake]
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 14:40:16 -0400Buddy, Dr. John Ney is one of the best Fisheries biologist Professors
and researchers in the business. He has been at Va. Tech for many
years and most of the working biologists including Vic has studied under
him. I solicited his view on this matter yesterday. By the way John is
also an active member of the Smith Mountain Club. We should talk about
making him an honorary member of the BISC at the next officers meeting.
I believe his opinion and recommendations on Kerr Lake fish are right on
the money. I think it would be as good idea to share this view with
everyone in the club and everyone interested in the subject. Also I
will take the appropriate action with the BISC and the Roanoke River
Basin Association to push for a study. In a separate e-mail to you I
will forward you my original request of John's view.
Gene
Subject: Buggs Island Striper Fishing Club
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 16:24:20 -0400Hi John. A couple of points came out of our first real General
Membership meeting which was attended by over 100 people.
1) Vic DiCenzo spoke in general about the Striper fishery and he
mentioned the quality of the water in Kerr and possible effect on the
fish. If you peruse our message board and newsletter in the web site I
have attached, you can see that it has set off a fire storm (PCB
Contamination in the Stauton issue). It seems attempts I have made to
keep it technically correct and unemotional have not prevailed. I would
be interested in your view on the consumption of fish caught in Kerr.2) Vic mentioned the need and potential for a study and funds from the
Corps on the impact of white perch on the striper fishery. Our group
thought this study was pertinent and we will be glad to write a letter
of support for this work if you provide me with the appropriate info on
it.
Regards,
Gene Addesso
Subject: Kerr Lake
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 13:06:00 -0400
Gene:
Good to hear from you on both issues. First, I don't think anybody has a
clue about the PCB levels in stripers and other fish in Kerr Reservoir. The
DEQ has long had a "see no evil" approach, but I would suggest using the
clout of the Striper Club and the Roanoke River Basin Association to demand some testing of the fish. Otherwise, it's all conjecture.My own personal view: If I caught fish out of Kerr, I'd eat them. I've
eaten a lot of salmon out of Lake Michigan, and they definitely had low
levels of PCBs. We were careful to remove the fattiest parts of the fish -
notably belly meat. Human health effects from eating PCB laden fish are not clearcut. PCBs are carcinogenic, but there is little evidence to support a
rise in cancer rates among folks that eat a lot of fish with PCBs; it's the
old toxicology problem of extrapolating to people from megadoses in lab
rats. If you have a 1 in 70,000 lifetime risk of death from PCBs ( and I
don't know what EPA/FDA project here), you need to compare it to the 1 in 1600 risk of cancer from eating peanut butter (aflatoxins) or the 1 in 400
risk of motor vehicle death. As for Kerr stripers, they would get PCBs
through the food chain. Spawning runs are short, and they don't feed a lot
on the way. Of course, the sediments in Kerr itself could have PCBs, making it an in-lake problem. So, all this rambling comes down to personal choice, but let's test the fish!Second, Vic and I would greatly appreciate Striper Club support for a study
of the impact of white perch on Kerr stripers and other fishes. The
invading white perch is now very abundant, and we don't know what they are doing to the resident fishes. White perch can compete with young stripers for food and also like to eat small fish, including perhaps stripers. We need to find out what's going on so that we can manage the lake accordingly. I will develop a proposal over the next month or so in collaboration with Vic, then send it to you for comment.
John J. Ney
Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321
PH: 540-231-7292
Fax: 540-231-7580
Internet e-mail: jney@vt.edu"Another message in a bottle, cast into the grey, unfriendly sea."
-- Silas Marner
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Kerr Lake]
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 17:43:36 -0400
Gene,
Thanks for the information, I value John's opinion and I believe he
gave a very reasonable and rational answer. I agree that it is a matter of
choice. I also believe we should get the fish tested. What can we do to make that happen ? I'll get this up on the internet as soon as possible. It may take a few days.
Thanks again,
Buddy
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Kerr Lake]
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 18:52:01 -0400
I have contacted Tom Brawner our Exec. director of the RRBA. We have beenworking with Va and NC legislators on the issue of water quality for a while now anyway. I envision joint letters from the BISC and the RRBA to the VA. DEQ requesting the study with copies to the right politicians. That may do it. We will see. I will send you another page to read from the RRBA. Everyone in the club should support the RRBA if they care about preserving this great resource. Gene