Traditional salmon preparation. Photo courtesy of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

About the survey

The Idaho Tribal Fish Consumption Survey documents current and heritage (i.e. historic) fish consumption rates for tribes in Idaho.

Who conducted it

EPA conducted this survey in collaboration with the following tribal governments:

• Nez Perce Tribe.
• Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
• Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Indians.
• Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.
• Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. 

What we learned

• Fish consumption rates for the participating Idaho tribes indicate that they currently consume more fish than the general population.
• Idaho Tribes generally consume more fish than previously documented 20 years ago in the Columbia River Fish Contaminant Survey conducted by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC).
• Tribal members attribute increased fish consumption, in part, due to habitat improvements and an increased availability of fish in local rivers and lakes. Differences in the design of EPA’s survey relative to the original CRITFC survey may also contribute to differences in derived fish consumption rates.

Why it's important

• This data will help support development of tribal water quality standards, and inform federal and state decisions that may affect tribal fish consumption in Idaho.
• A review of heritage (i.e. historic) fish consumption for Idaho Tribes complied past and historic fish consumption rates. The heritage fish consumption information assists in quantifying suppression of current tribal fish consumption relative to historic levels.

Survey documents

• Idaho Tribal Fish Consumption Survey Fact Sheet (PDF)(4 pp, 618 K, July 2016)
• Fish Consumption Survey of the Nez Perce Tribe (PDF)(432 pp, 14 MB, December 2016)
• Fish Consumption Survey of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (PDF)(351 pp, 13 MB, December 2016)
• Heritage Fish Consumption Rates of the Nez Perce Tribe (PDF)(36 pp, 2 MB, December 31, 2016)
• Heritage Fish Consumption Rates of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (PDF)(30 pp, 2 MB, December 31, 2016)
• Heritage Fish Consumption Rates of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe (PDF)(34 pp, 4 MB, December 16, 2016)
• Heritage Fish Consumption Rates of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho (PDF)(38 pp, 4 MB, December 16, 2016)
• Design of a Survey on Fish Consumption by the Nez Perce Tribe (PDF)(63 pp, 448 K, February 2014)
• Design of a Survey on Fish Consumption by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (PDF)(83 pp, 509 K, February 2014)