Harmful heavy metals

Mercury

Cadmium

Long-term exposure to cadmium can cause kidney damage, bone mineral density loss and hypertension. It has also been listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Lead

Ongoing exposure of small amounts of lead is harmful, especially in young children. Some symptoms of long-term exposure to lead include anemia, appetite loss, abdominal pain, headaches and constipation. Like cadmium, long-term exposure to lead can also harm the kidneys.

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Arsenic

Inorganic arsenic is not usually found at high levels in food, but long-term exposure high levels of inorganic arsenic is known to contribute to the risk of cancer, and can affect the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, lungs and skin.

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Gespegewaq Migmaq
Resource Council

Lobster Contaminants

During pregnancy, methylmercury can interfere with fetal development of the central nervous system and can cause neurological and developmental delays. Women who are exposed to methylmercury and breastfeed can expose the child through the milk.

Gespegewaq Migmaq

Resource Council

The most common form of mercury found in the environment is in the form of methylmercury. Long term exposure to methylmercury may cause numbness and tingling in the extremities, blurred vision, deafness, lack of muscle coordination and intellectual impairment, as well as, causing harmful effects on the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems.

Gespegewaq Migmaq
Resource Council

Toxins in Lobster
Lobster is a traditional food source that has sustained our people for generations, and many can agree, it makes a delicious meal! Although the GMRC encourages the consumption of lobsters, here is something to consider the next time you decide to eat a lobster!

more than two a day. There are no Health Canada restrictions on the consumption of lobster meat as a result of PSP, as the toxin is not normally present in the meat.

ince opening in 2007, the Gespegewaq Migmaq Resource Council (GMRC) has been working to promote sustainable resource management in and around its member communities of Listuguj, Eel River Bar, and Pabineau. To ensure the safety and well-being of our community members, the GMRC has undertaking numerous projects examining the levels of contaminates in our traditional foods.

Heavy Metals
Like PSP toxins, heavy metals can accumulate in the tomalley of lobster. These metals can form poisonous compounds in living organisms, which can cause numerous health problems if exposed to for long periods of time.

Avoid eating lobster tomalley

Health Canada recommends avoiding or limiting the amount of lobster tomalley eaten. Lobster tomalley is the green stuff found in the body of a cooked lobster and is often considered a delicacy. This green tissue is the pancreas and liver of the lobster. Like the liver in other animals, it filters toxins, which can accumulate in the tomalley, becoming more and more concentrated over time. If our people consume lobster tomalley, then these toxins can also accumulate in our bodies over time, which can pose very serious health risks. Some of these toxins include paralytic shellfish poison and heavy metals.

Most recently, the GMRC began a project in Eel River Bar to address a community concern regarding the levels of heavy metal contaminates within the lobster traditionally eaten by the community, as the lobster they consume are obtained from an area in the Bay of Chaleur that Denny Isaac, Environmental Manager is plagued with industrial activity. The aim of the project was to examine the concentrations of mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, zinc and thallium in the lobster. Today, our people are faced with many health problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer, as a result of avoiding traditional foods and adapting a more western diet. This is why the GMRC encourages the consumption of traditional foods. But we must also ensure the safety this food source, as exposure to certain contaminates can also pose very serious health risks.

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) results from eating shellfish that have fed upon toxic microorganisms that are found in ocean plankton. PSP toxins accumulate in the tomalley, and can represent a potential health risk to who ever consumes it. The symptoms of PSP may include the less severe; numbness or tingling of the lips, tongue, fingers and toes or the more severe; loss of muscular coordination, paralysis and the inability to breathe. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning from consuming lobster tomalley, but Health Canada still recommends that children avoid eating lobster tomalley and adults restrict their consumption of lobster tomalley to no