Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) are conducting consultations on possibly banning the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foams. Beyond firefighting, PFAS have been used for decades in numerous industrial and consumer products — such as non-stick cookware, food packaging, and water-repellent fabrics. These chemicals are highly bioaccumulative and biomagnify through the food chain, making fish consumption a major route of human exposure, even at low concentrations.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, organ damage, reproductive and developmental issues, and immune suppression. Alarmingly, consuming even a small amount of fish can exceed health advisory thresholds, putting anglers and rights-based fishers at particular risk.
The OFAH fully supports this initiative, especially the elimination of PFAS in firefighting foams, which are a major source of contamination.
Despite the risks, public awareness of PFAS remains low. “We have advocated for stronger labelling and mandatory disclosure to improve public understanding and support informed decision-making,” OFAH Fisheries Biologist Adam Weir said.
Ultimately, successful implementation of this proposal will depend on openness, transparency, and accountability from all involved parties. To date, confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure restrictions have limited access to critical information for the public, including the OFAH and its members.
“We have urged ECCC to provide sufficient funding to provincial and territorial governments to support complementary initiatives, such as enhancing Ontario’s Guide to Eating Ontario Fish and increasing awareness of PFAS contamination hotspots,” Weir said.
Confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure restrictions have limited access to critical information for the public
Originally published in the Jan.-Feb. 2026 issue of Ontario Out of Doors
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