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RALEIGH, N.C. (May 7) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced today it was suspending Lake Crabtree from its Community Fishing Program due to a PCB Fish Advisory issued for Brier Creek, Little Brier Creek, Brier Creek Reservoir and Lake Crabtree. The N.C. Division of Public Health issued the advisory (pdf) today, which prompted the Wildlife Commission to halt fish-stocking and fish-feeding activities on the 520-acre lake in Morrisville. Officials with the Division of Public Health advised the public against eating any catfish or carp from Lake Crabtree, and for all other fish caught from Lake Crabtree, eating only one meal per month. More information about consuming fish from a specific body of water can be obtained from the Epidemiology Section of the N.C. Division of Public Health, or call (919) 733-3410. The Division of Public Health said the PCB contamination in Lake Crabtree was discovered as a result of an investigation of the Ward Transformer facility on Mount Herman Road near Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The Wildlife Commission stocks catchable-sized channel catfish that range from 8- to 14-inches long at all participating Community Fishing Program sites, including Lake Crabtree. Bob Curry, fish program manager with the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries, said the contaminated catfish in Lake Crabtree most likely were resident catfish, not the catfish produced at state fish hatcheries for the Community Fishing Program. “The catfish that we stock are hatched at the Watha State Fish Hatchery near the coast, where we get our water for hatchery operations from the Castle-Hayne aquifer. Then, the fish are reared either at the Watha hatchery or McKinney Lake hatchery near Rockingham,” Curry said. “But we operate the Community Fishing Program for the public, and so public safety is paramount to us. We will not reinstate Lake Crabtree to the Community Fishing Program until the Division of Public Health lifts the advisory.” Curry said that Wildlife Commission personnel this week suspended fish stocking in Lake Crabtree and removed the fish feeders from the lake. However, Lake Crabtree will continue to operate as one of the Wildlife Commission’s free tackle loaner sites, Curry said. Some of the state's
best fishing for channel catfish can be found at any of 43 lakes across
North Carolina
that have been designated Community
Fishing Program sites, which are intensively managed bodies of water
receiving monthly stockings of catchable-sized channel catfish from April-September.
Many Community Fishing Program sites also feature a handicapped-accessible
fishing pier and solar-powered fish feeders to make fishing more enjoyable
for anglers of all abilities. Call (919) 733-3633 for more information. |