Project
Whales as food in vulnerable communities: Safety and nutrition in a changing climate.Climate change is altering the distribution, habitat, and diet of marine species, including toothed whales. Such species are traditional foods and essential sources of nutrients to vulnerable communities such as Indigenous populations like First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada, and countries of the Global South that rely partly on local, wild-caught food. However, harvesting of toothed whales mainly occurs in remote and understudied areas, creating knowledge gaps regarding their chemical contamination and nutritional value, particularly in the context of climate change. Toothed whales can accumulate human-made chemicals like mercury (Hg) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and they are also sources of important micronutrients such as fatty acids (e.g., omega-3s), vitamins (e.g., A, D, and E), and essential trace elements (e.g., iron, calcium, and selenium). Humans who consume fish and marine mammals have shown elevated levels of Hg and PFAS, which have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. Despite this, traditional foods are essential for communities experiencing dietary deficiencies, including Indigenous Arctic populations in Canada, where reduced consumption of traditional foods has been linked to vitamin D deficiencies and, consequently, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Growth layers in whale teeth can offer insight into human exposure and long-term climate-related changes in Hg levels. However, Hg and PFAS are not routinely monitored in harvests, and data on micronutrient content of toothed whales are limited. This study aims to develop an understanding of how vulnerable communities in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, East Greenland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Faroe Islands can adapt to climate-induced changes in food resources by focusing on the food safety and nutritional value of whale meat. This will be achieved by 1) quantifying and comparing Hg and PFAS levels in whale meat among traditional and newly harvested toothed whales across the North Atlantic; 2) determining long-term trends of Hg in whale teeth; and 3) assessing micronutrient levels (fatty acids, vitamins, and essential trace elements) of whale meat in relation to Hg and PFAS. This research is significant as it will assess the safety and nutritional value of whale meat in the context of climate change, allowing vulnerable communities to make informed food choices and guide health authorities in developing balanced dietary guidelines. By doing so, this project contributes to The Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs, including PFAS) which aim to protect both human health and the environment from adverse effects of Hg and POPs.
Keywords
climate change, Indigenous and minority communities, Traditional foods, Toothed whales, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Mercury, Micronutrients, Vitamins, Essential trace elements, Fatty acidsPublications
1- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) source identification and a maternal transfer case study in threatened killer whales (Orcinus orca) of British Columbia, CanadaLee, Kiah, Stephen Raverty, Paul Cottrell, Zeinab Zoveidadianpour, Brendan Cottrell, Dana Price, Juan José Alava
2023 Scientific Reports
2- Emerging Contaminants and New POPs (PFAS and HBCDD) in Endangered Southern Resident and Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whales (Orcinus orca): In Utero Maternal Transfer and Pollution Management Implications
Lee, Kiah, Juan José Alava, Paul Cottrell, Lauren Cottrell, Richard Grace, Ivona Zysk, Stephen Raverty
2022 Environmental Science & Technology
