Research Webinar: Subsistence fishing, fish consumption, and awareness of contaminants in fish among resettled immigrants and refugees in Vermont

View a recording of the webinar.

Exposure to contaminants in fish, such as mercury and persistent organic pollutants have wide-ranging adverse health effects. Immigrant and refugee communities often have less knowledge of these risks due to a lack of appropriate education and outreach, and may be at greater risk of exposure to contaminants in fish, especially if they practice subsistence fishing. This talk reports our survey and focus group results on the local fishing and fish-eating behavior and subsequent contaminant exposure risk among residents in Burlington, Vermont.

Three Rubenstein School researchers have worked on this project and will present the findings. Saurav Lamichhane is a Master's Student at the Rubenstein School. Ariana Chiapella is a wildlife and fisheries biologist and a lecturer. Ari conducts research at the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory. She explores basic to applied questions about the impacts of stressors on aquatic ecosystems and implications for people and management. Bindu Panikkar is an Associate Professor. Bindu works at the intersection of Environmental Health, Environmental Justice, and Science, Technology, and Society Studies. Her work examines environmental controversies surrounding emerging contaminants, land use development, and technology politics and its social, legal, ethical, and environmental justice implications.

To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in any of these programs, please contact Lake Champlain Sea Grant / Anna Marchessault at 802-777-9130 or seagrant [at] uvm.edu no later than three weeks before your chosen date so we can assist you.