Hosted
by
Centre
for
Coastal
Studies,
Faculty
of
Environment,
Simon
Fraser
University
Sponsored
by
Ocean
Management
Research
Network
Workshop
Report
A
report
summarizing
the
proceedings
will
be
available
at:
www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science
CADMIUM
IN
SHELLFISH
FROM
THE
PACIFIC
NORTHWEST:
STATUS
AND
HEALTH
CONCERNS
MONDAY,
MAY
3,
2010,
SIMON
FRASER
UNIVERSITY
WORKSHOP
AGENDA
Background
and
Rationale:
In
1998,
the
Canadian
federal
and
provincial
governments
in
partnership
with
industry
began
to
expand
the
shellfishery.
This
expansion
was
arrested
when
three
shipments
of
B.C.
oysters
were
rejected
from
the
Hong
Kong
market
for
exceeding
the
cadmium
safety
guidelines
of
2
µgg‐1
wet
weight
(Kruzynski
et
al.
2002,
Kruzynski
2004).
A
subsequent
survey
by
the
Canadian
Food
Inspection
Agency
revealed
that
on
average
B.C.
oysters
contained
2.6
µgg‐1
cadmium
wet
weight,
an
amount,
which
also
exceeds
the
European
Community
export
market
guideline
of
1
µgg‐1
wet
weight.
High
cadmium
levels
resulted
in
Health
Canada
issuing
consumptory
guidelines
of
460
grams
oysters
per
month
for
adults
and
60
grams
a
month
for
children
(Canadian
Food
Inspection
Agency,
2003).
This
consumptory
guideline
subsequently
has
been
shown
to
be
not
stringent
enough,
especially
for
target
populations
such
as
First
Nations
(Cheng
and
Gobas
2007,
Widmeyer
and
Bendell‐Young
2008).
In
an
attempt
to
address
possible
sources
of
cadmium
to
oysters
such
that
oysters
could
be
farmed
without
concern
of
high
cadmium
levels,
several
research
initiatives
were
undertaken.
Although
spatial
and
temporal
patterns
were
indicated
(Bendell
and
Feng
2009),
as
well
as
some
additional
insight
as
to
whether
oysters
were
obtaining
cadmium
via
food
or
water
(Lekhi
et
al.,
2008,
Christie
and
Bendell
2009),
a
definitive
“source”
of
cadmium
to
oysters
from
the
Pacific
Northwest
has
yet
to
be
identified.
Recent
studies
by
Saratung
et
al.
(2009)
have
indicated
that
the
toxicity
of
cadmium
to
humans
occurs
at
much
lower
levels
of
exposure
than
currently
thought.
In
light
of
these
research
outcomes,
of
concern
is
the
continued
aggressive
expansion
of
the
shellfish
industry
by
the
Province
of
B.C.,
which
includes
government‐supported
involvement
of
First
Nations
communities.
More
disconcerting
is
a
recent
correspondence
from
the
Federal
Ministry
of
Health
that
stated
that
“cadmium
levels
in
oysters
are
declining”,
and
that
Health
Canada
would
reassign
consumporty
guidelines
for
this
product.
The
statement
by
the
Federal
Ministry
of
Health
runs
contrary
to
what
has
been
reported
in
the
scientific
literature
with
respect
to
cadmium
levels
in
BC
shellfish.
Therefore,
this
invitational
workshop
will
1)
establish
what
are
the
cadmium
concentrations
and
trends
of
these
concentrations
in
BC
shellfish
and
2)
determine
the
health
risks
posed
to
First
Nations
from
such
cadmium
concentrations
in
shellfish.
A
G
E
N
D
A
8:30
–
9:00
9:00
–
9:15
9:15
–
9:45
9:45
–
12:00
9:45
–
10:15
10:15
–
10:45
10:45
–
11:00
11:00
–
11:30
11:30
–
12:30
11:30
–
12:00
12:00
–
12:30
12:30
–
1:15
1:15
–
1:45
1:15
–
1:45
1:45
–
4:00
2:45
–
3:00
3:30
–
4:00
Registration
and
light
refreshment
Welcome
and
Introduction
Patricia
Gallaugher;
Director
Centre
for
Coastal
Studies
Simon
Fraser
University
Cadmium
in
Shellfish
(101):
A
crash
course
in
the
politics
of
science
George
Kruzynski,
PhD,
North
Saanich,
BC
CADMIUM
CONCENTRATIONS
IN
SHELLFISH
FROM
THE
PACIFIC
NORTHWEST
–
FINDINGS
FROM
THREE
RESEARCH
PROJECTS
Cadmium
in
Pacific
Oysters
(Crassostrea
gigas):
A
survey
of
the
United
States
West
Coast
Aimee
Christy,
Pacific
Shellfish
Institute,
Olympia,
Washington
Cadmium
in
Pacific
Oysters
(Crassostrea
gigas):
A
survey
of
the
Canadian
Pacific
North
West
Coast
Leah
Bendell,
Professor,
Biological
Sciences,
Simon
Fraser
University,
Burnaby
Break
Sources
of
Cadmium
to
BC
Oysters:
Field
observations
and
isotopic
tracers
Kristin
Orians,
Professor,
Earth
and
Ocean
Sciences,
University
of
British
Columbia,
Vancouver,
BC
UNDERSTANDING
THE
HEALTH
RISKS
How
much
Cadmium
is
Safe?
Soisungwan
Satarug,
Visiting
Research
Professor,
Dept.
of
Pathology,
University
of
North
Dakota
School
of
Medicine
&
Health
Sciences,
Grand
Forks,
North
Dakota
(presented
by
George
Kruzynski)
Health
Canada’s
Past,
Present
and
Future
Roles
Elizabeth
Elliott,
Scientific
Evaluator,
Chemical
Health
Hazard
Assessment
Division
Lunch
UNDERSTANDING
THE
HEALTH
RISKS
TO
FIRST
NATIONS
Shellfish
Safety
in
Coast
Salish
Communities
Tim
Kulchyski,
Junior
Biologist,
Cowichan
Tribes,
Duncan
ROUNDTABLE
DISCUSSION
ON
WHAT
WE
HAVE
LEARNED
AND
WHAT
WE
NEED
TO
DO
NEXT
Break
Workshop
Outcomes
and
Wrap­up