In the 17th century, abundant salmon trout, whitefish, and eel drew Native Americans to the shores of Gannetaha, where they built temporary fishing villages. In the late 1800s, Onondaga Lake whitefish was a delicacy in New York City markets and restaurants. Industrial pollution and sewage in the first half of the twentieth century then made the lake one of the country's most contaminated water bodies, and surveys in 1928 found only 10 species of fish. Fishing was banned in 1972 because of mercury contamination. Fishery monitoring, investments in wastewater collection and treatment systems, and public education later brought marked improvements in water quality. In 1986, the ban was modified to allow catch and release, and in 1999 the advisory on consuming gamefish was revised. Since 1990, fifty-four species of fish have been captured in the lake, and sport fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass has drawn national acclaim.