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The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program (GLFMP) consists of two separate programs, the Open Lakes Trend Monitoring Program and the Game Fish Fillet Monitoring Program.  The Open Lake Trend Monitoring Program was designed to examine the health of fish and fish-consuming wildlife through trend analysis while the Game Fish Fillet Monitoring Program was designed to monitor potential human exposure to contaminants through consumption of popular sport fish species. 

Open Lakes Trend Monitoring Program - This component is directed at monitoring contaminant trends in the open waters of the Great Lakes (using fish as biomonitors), and assessing the overall effects of toxics on fish and fish consuming wildlife.  The program provides for collection and analysis of lake trout (walleye in Lake Erie) from each of the Great Lakes.  Fish samples are collected in the fall of the year, using fish of similar size to reduce the impact of size variation on contaminant trend data.  Fish samples are then analyzed for several different contaminants, including PCBs, toxaphene, chlordanes, nonachlors, and other organochlorine compounds.  Whole fish are analyzed, including parts not usually eaten by humans, such as the liver and bones, because wildlife consume the entire fish.  Contaminants, such as PCBs, toxaphene, chlordanes, nonachlors, and other organochlorine compounds are routinely monitored in Great Lake’s top predator fish.  Emerging contaminants, such as PBDEs were recently added to the list of contaminants to be analyzed.

Contaminant concentrations in the Great Lakes are decreasing.  However, the rate of decrease varies from lake to lake due to differences in lake size and historical contaminant input.  In addition, direct comparison of contaminant concentrations across lakes is not possible as the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program’s Open Lakes Trend Monitoring Program was designed to analyze fish of similar size, rather than of the same age.  The age of fish affects the contaminant body burden cocnetration and the rate of uptake is affected by the rate of growth of the fish.  Other factors, such as forage base, lipid (fat) content, and gender also affect the contaminant body burden of the fish.  For example, a Lake Michigan lake trout may be the same size and contain the same amount of lipid and have a completely different contaminant body burden that a Lake Ontario lake trout of the same size and lipid content.  For this reason, only general chemical concentration patterns can be observed.  This is especially true for Lake Erie, where walleye are collected as the top predator fish instated of lake trout.  Lake Erie’s fish have the fastest growth rate of the five Great Lakes.

Game Fish Fillet Monitoring Program - This component is directed at monitoring potential human exposure to contaminants through consumption of popular sport fish species.  The inclusion of coho and chinook salmon in this program also provides a snapshot of contaminant concentrations across the Great Lakes in fish of consistent age, complementing the size-based data collected in the open lakes component.  The program provides for the collection of skin-on fillets from coho or chinook salmon (or rainbow trout, if neither is available) by the Great Lakes states.  Fish samples are then analyzed for several different contaminants, including PCBs, toxaphene, chlordanes, nonachlors, and other organochlorine compounds.  Emerging contaminants, such as PBDEs were recently added to the list of contaminants to be analyzed.

Information gained from the game fish fillet monitoring program can not be used to determine trends in contaminants and can not be used to set fish advisories.  All eight Great Lakes states and the Great Lakes tribes issue their own fish consumption advice .  PCB concentrations in coho salmon from this program can be compared to a standardized fish advisory protocol, the Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory , developed by the eight Great Lakes states to assess potential human exposure to PCBs through sport fish consumption.  Although not intended as fish consumption advice, information from this program can assess the extent to which PCBs accumulate in coho salmon tissue in each of the Great Lakes. 

 

Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program Analyte List

*A scan for specified list of additional analytes, such as perfluorinated compounds, musk fragrances, APEs, pharmaceuticals and other personal care products (pseudo-persistence), other flame retardants, etc., will be conducted.

 

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