Environment Protection Agency PA gives green light to consume filleted fish caught in West Lakes
Anglers have been given the green light to eat fish caught at West Lakes – on one important condition.
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Testing of West Lakes fish by the Environmental Protection Agency has shown they are safe to eat – as long as they’re filleted.
The EPA recently tested PFAS levels in fish caught at West Lakes and found they were not present at levels that would make fish unfit for human consumption.
But the environmental agency is warning to only eat fillets from fish caught at West Lakes, due to the concentration of lead in whole fish and mussels, which is at levels considered unsafe for consumption.
The EPA conducted the testing following the discovery of elevated concentrations of PFAS in soil, groundwater and sewage sludge near the former Port Adelaide wastewater treatment plant at West Lakes.
The area was also previously identified as having elevated metal concentrations, particularly cadmium.
EPA director of regulation Peter Dolan said while some PFAS compounds were found in the fish samples, they were not at concentrations that would trigger investigation under the Foods Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
“We also tested for heavy metals in the samples, because cadmium has been a concern in West Lake soils,” he said.
“Those results revealed that cadmium is not a problem, but lead was present at levels above the FSAMZ trigger point for investigation in the whole fish and mussels tested.
“As a result, SA Health has advised that fish fillets from West Lakes are safe to eat, but whole or macerated fish and mussels are not recommended for human consumption.”
The taking of mollusc, which includes mussels and all bivalve shellfish, has been banned for several decades in the waters of West Lakes under the Fisheries Management Act 2007.
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