Canada

Photo: Contributed - First Nations Drum website

Deformed fish caught in the Athabasca River

Natives downstream from the oilsands in northern Alberta say they have caught more deformed fish in Lake Athabasca and will be sending them away for testing.

Pictures of the two fish, a sucker and a northern pike, were distributed by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in a news release calling for better protection of the region's water.

The pike appears to have a red lesion running down its back and more lesions on its belly, while the sucker appears to be covered in tumours.

In 2010, the band showed off deformed fish caught in the lake to back a call for further study of water quality downstream of the oilsands.

Alberta is increasing its monitoring in the region after its old approach came under criticism by scientists at home and abroad.

Just this week, the government confirmed it has moved forward on a plan for the number of monitoring sites to be increased by more than 50 per cent in the next three years.