Alberta government issues "interim guidance" against consumption of Crowsnest Lake fish

My Wild Alberta, the government portal for hunting and fishing, advises unspecified limited consumption of selenium-poisoned trout and whitefish.

In the Alberta government’s first acknowledgement that selenium runoff from the Australian-owned Tent Mountain coal mine has poisoned Crowsnest Lake trout and whitefish, the government’s official fishing and hunting site has issued a consumption advisory.

The advisory does not state a safe limit for consuming the selenium-laced fish, leaving sports anglers and First Nations with the only wise course of completely avoiding the eating of trout from Crowsnest Lake and downstream into the Oldman River system.

It is concerning that the 2024 netting operation by Alberta Environment scientists failed to find a single rainbow trout in Crowsnest Lake, despite many years of stocking breeding fish. (In British Columbia, the Fording River trout population was suddenly extirpated by selenium poisoning from the upstream coal mine, resulting in a $60 million fine against Teck Resources. This shows that extirpation by selenium can be sudden and total once biological thresholds are exceeded.)

The poisoning of Crowsnest Lake and River by Evolve Power (aka Montem Resources) is a gross violation of both Alberta environmental law and First Nations treaty rights. It also severely damages the reputation of the Crowsnest River system as a desirable angling destination.

The Alberta government must immediately seize the Tent Mountain property and undertake whatever engineering solutions are necessary to contain selenium runoff.

Read the Alberta Environment Ministry’s new science on Crowsnest selenium contamination.

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Fish Consumption Advisories for Alberta Waterbodies

Crowsnest Lake - Interim Fish Consumption Guidance

Each year, the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas conducts netting of fish from selected lakes across Alberta to inform recreational fish management. Fish tissue from this sampling is often shared with Alberta Health for analysis under the Mercury in Fish Program.

In 2024, 105 fish (brown trout, lake trout, and mountain whitefish) from Crowsnest Lake were analyzed for mercury and trace metals. A preliminary assessment of these results indicate consumption of brown trout, lake trout and mountain whitefish should be limited due to selenium levels. The public should consider limiting consumption of these fish species from Crowsnest Lake at this time. Further investigation is ongoing. Check My Wild Alberta regularly for updates.

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