The NWT鈥檚 chief public health officer says fishing guidelines for Kam Lake produced by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources don鈥檛 鈥渏ive鈥� with catch-and-release recommendations made in his recent public health advisory on arsenic.

Dr. Andre Corriveau warned residents on April 10 of high arsenic levels in Kam Lake, relying on decades-old data that put the concentration of arsenic in that water at more than 50 times safe drinking levels.

More recent data from Miramar 快盈v3 Mining Ltd. from last fall shows the concentration of arsenic in Kam Lake is actually closer to 20 times safe drinking water levels, although the health advisory does not reflect the latest information.

As a result, Corriveau鈥檚 advisory urged residents 鈥渘ot to use Kam Lake for swimming, fishing or harvesting of nearby berries or other edible plants.鈥�

It went on to say: 鈥淎s an additional precaution, fish caught from such lakes should not be consumed but catch-and-release fishing can be done.鈥�

However, NWT sport fishing regulations dated April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 place no restrictions on keeping fish caught from Kam Lake.

It shows residents may keep up to four walleye daily from Kam Lake and seven overall between June 7 and March 31 but makes no specific warning about arsenic levels there.

Several other fish species can be found in Kam Lake as well, including 快盈v3 pike and lake whitefish.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 aware of that specific recommendation,鈥� Corriveau said. 鈥淲e have recommended catch and release for all the lakes that have high levels of arsenic.鈥�

He said that鈥檚 because he doesn鈥檛 have data on the contaminant level in fish in Kam Lake, so he can鈥檛 confirm whether they are safe to eat.

鈥淎rsenic is not a contaminant that accumulates normally in fish,鈥� Corriveau said. 鈥淏ut there might be other contaminants that haven鈥檛 been tested for, that we don鈥檛 have data on, in lakes that have been impacted by industrial pollution.鈥�

Corriveau added he needs to speak to the environment department about the discrepancy.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 jive with what we鈥檙e recommending,鈥� he said.

Judy McLinton, spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said the fishing regulations were published April 1, before Corriveau鈥檚 advisory on arsenic was released.

鈥淭he Northwest Territories Fishery Regulations are federal regulations and changes to the regulations must be done by Fisheries and Oceans Canada,鈥� she stated in an e-mail.

Yellowknifer requested several times to discuss the issue with someone from the department, but requests for an interview were not answered.

McLinton instead sent Yellowknifer a link to Corriveau鈥檚 public health advisory on arsenic.

Another spokesperson for the department, Ella Wray, later told Yellowknifer changes to NWT fishing regulations will be presented to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and will include arsenic levels in fish in Kam Lake.

When asked, she did not directly say whether the department already has any data on the level of arsenic in fish.

鈥淓NR is collaborating with the University of Alberta to study concentrations of contaminants in fish from several high use and potentially impacted lakes in the Yellowknife area,鈥� Wray replied. 鈥淭his includes Kam Lake. Results are expected in early 2019.鈥�

She said the department is also working with Health and Social Services to share timely data about arsenic in Yellowknife lakes with residents.