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In this 2014 file photo, Bhutanese refugees Kumar Pradhan and Hem Kadariya fish for carp in Onondaga Lake's Inner Harbor. Public officials and refugee groups are warning refugees about the dangers of eating fish from the lake.

(Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- More than a year ago, a refugee resettlement worker told public officials that some refugees might be eating up to 40 meals a month made with fish caught in Onondaga Lake.

That, Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said, "is a public health hazard."



Yet there's still no clear idea how much fish the refugees are eating, or how much mercury they may be absorbing, or what's the best way to prevent them from eating toxic fish.

Results of a state study looking at refugee fish consumption from the lake have not been released, and public officials and refugee community say they're not sure how widespread the practice is.

"I know that for the refugee population on the north side, that's not an uncommon place for them to be looking for food," said Onondaga County Legislator Peggy Chase, who is also a nurse. "How many there are, I have no idea."

The state Department of Health says women under the age of 50 and children under 15 should never eat fish from the lake because of high levels of mercury and PCBs. Nobody should eat walleye, carp or channel catfish, or any bass longer than 15 inches, the state says.

In March 2016, a Catholic Charities worker told the Onondaga Lake Watershed Partnership that some refugees eat up to 40 meals a month with fish from the lake, according to several people who attended the meeting. Minutes from the meeting say that Robert Nyumah discussed "the widespread/regular consumption of Onondaga Lake fish that are under fish consumption advisories."

Kazi Gautam, chairman of the Bhutanese Community in Syracuse, said members of his community eat fish from Onondaga Lake, even though he tries to warn them of the advisories.

Onondaga County will post the signs on the left along Onondaga Lake. The city of Syracuse will post the sign on the right along city shoreline. Refugees and others are eating fish from the lake even though the fish may contain mercury.



"Some people still go there," Gautam said. "It's the most common location."



The state health department in 2014 said it would take blood samples from 300 refugees and 100 Syracuse residents who rely on fish from the lake as a food source.

The samples have been taken and results are still being reviewed, said department spokesman Jeffrey Hammond. He said the results will be released "later this year."



Chase said she's frustrated that the test results are not available yet.



"It boggles my mind that it takes so long," she said. "I would love to know what the results of that research project are."

Chase said she's concerned about the health effects of mercury, which includes brain and nerve damage.



"Mercury is very poisonous," she said, "and it's especially poisonous to young children who are on the verge of developing their neurological systems."

County and city officials plan to put up signs around the lake warning refugees and others about the hazards of eating fish from the lake. The city's signs will be ready to install in a week or two, said Lindsay Speer, a member of the Onondaga Lake Watershed Partnership committee that devised the signs.



The city's signs are bright red with the word "warning" splashed across the top in white. The county's signs are yellow and white, with a jumping fish and the word "notice." Partnership and city officials say those "happy fish" signs aren't strong enough to warn away people who might fish at the lake.



Gautam said the city's signs will be more likely to keep people from eating fish from the lake.



"The red sign that has different languages and international "NO" symbol is expected to be effective," Gautam wrote in a letter to Syracuse.com. "Many of our people are good at reading the signs if they are in their native languages."

Both types of signs will be in several languages.

The county's environment director, Travis Glazier, told Syracuse.com in March that the county planned to install its signs "soon," but said they would have "very little impact" on fishing by refugees.

The state Department of Health has issued a fishing advisory for Onondaga Lake because many fish have high levels of mercury and PCBs in their flesh.

Gautam said the refugee community is trying to warn its members about the dangers of eating fish from the lake, through meetings and informal conversations.

"We tell them if you want to go fish, don't go to Onondaga Lake," he said. "The water is not good there, and you will have health issues down the road."



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